


Promise

by freckledface0401



Series: Fighting the obstacles [2]
Category: Ahnlee - Fandom, Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 2, 낭만닥터 김사부 2 | Dr. Romantic 2 (TV)
Genre: Ahnlee, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 46,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25135387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledface0401/pseuds/freckledface0401
Summary: What happens in the happily ever after life? Is it really carefree and happy each and every day? Of course not, nothing is. But as long as they have each other, they can fight everything that comes in their way.
Relationships: Cha Eun Jae/Seo Woo Jin (Dr Romantic 2)
Series: Fighting the obstacles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866223
Comments: 115
Kudos: 226





	1. Champagne

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to Challenge, after their wedding; about their daily life and everything that comes with it: the good things and also the difficulties as well. Hope you enjoy reading it and keep on supporting these amazing people in real life <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adventure begins, so does their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes mature(ish) content, so be aware if you want to be careful with them. Xo

2024, May the 4th was officially the happiest day of Lee Sung Kyung and Ahn Hyo Seop's lives. After finally giving in to their feelings and banish their fears, they decided to fight all the obstacles life and the media had thrown in their way on each other's side, together. And in the end, love conquered all. They both knew they still had a lot to face, especially once people would know about their wedding. AhnLee was ready. But that night, when he held her in his arms after they entered their new home, none of them thought about all those things. They only cared about one another and how happy, truly happy they were. Sung Kyung put her hands on the nape of his neck and kissed him slowly as he brought her in their bedroom. It was quite a long way there since the room was on the first floor.

\- We'll definitely have to use the guest room downstairs more. - Sung Kyung stated as he laid her on the bed. - I could hardly hold myself back from kissing you all the way on the stairs.

\- Well kiss me now, I'm here. - he panted, leaning above her and she gladly obeyed. Sucking his plump, sweet lips, he then took over charge and went in for more, sliding his tongue into her mouth, allowing it on an exploration for the millionth time. Sung Kyung's hands wandered from his jawline to his suit jacket, helping it off him and started unbuttoning his white shirt under that. Soon enough, she could feel the smooth, heated skin of his chest on her torso, even with her dress on. Hyo Seop's mouth was already on her neck, leaving the trace of his saliva on her skin. - I still can't believe I get to do all these as your husband.

\- You're allowed to do anything you want, babe. Anything. - she whispered and he suddenly stood up again, pulling her up too to finally get her out of the white dress which looked so good on her. There were at least thirty buttons on the back of it and he kissed her skin with every unclapsed button, right above her bottom. Then she could finally step out of it as the fabric fell on the floor and turned around. Hyo Seop pulled her closer by her waist firmly and kissed her again, even more passionately this time and she could feel his pants tightening just above her hips. She felt more aroused by that and pushed herself even closer to him as his fingers were running up and down her back. It was like he kept his tongue on a loose leash because he couldn't stop it from wandering down from her mouth: on her neck, to her collarbones, then she leaned back a bit as he reached her breasts: he cupped one of them and kissed the nipple on the other. Her soft moans were cut off by the ringtone of her phone in the pocket of his jacket.

\- What the...

\- Don't answer it! - he said quickly, trying to get back to where they were. The phone stopped ringing but then it all started over again.

\- Just a quick minute! - she sighed, pulling away to answer it. - Oh, it's Min Ji. - she said. She was the friend whom Hyo Seop saw his friend Josh with last before they left. - Hey, is everything okay?

\- Biiiiiiiiib! - she was clearly drunk. - Help me please, I'm soooooo doomed!

Hyo Seop looked at Sung Kyung with his eyebrows raised. She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

\- Where are you? Are you okay?

\- Why do I always fall for womanizers like him? 

\- Who are we talking about exactly?

\- Josh of course!

\- Yeah, of course, how silly of me. - she was full of sarcasm, but her friend was full of alcohol so she didn't notice anything from it. - Look, I'm in the middle of...

\- I know you just got married and that you're the last person I should bother now, but you're the only person I can talk to right now. - her voice was sad. - A one night stand never hurt as much as it does now. What am I gonna do, I'll never be more than a one night stand to anyone!

Sung Kyung sighed, knowing it was going to be a long talk. He mouthed 'sorry' to Hyo Seop, put on his suit jacket and went down to get some water while listening to Min Ji ranting about her love life. Of course, she heard nothing new. In a way, she felt sorry for her, but on the other hand, Min Ji always rejected kind men and cared for douchebags only. Sung Kyung couldn't blame her though, she used to be like that too when she was younger. Luckily, she found herself **THE MAN** in Hyo Seop and she couldn't have been any more grateful. He was kind, honest, caring and mature in a handsome package, who could ask for more? She couldn't help smiling at that thought and felt terribly bad because she was supposed to comfort her crying friend. Even if it's on her wedding day. Almost half an hour had passed until Min Ji finally calmed down. She was that typical crying kind of drunk. 

\- Sorry again for bothering you, I know I'm the worst friend who ever walked the Earth. Hope you have a safe flight tomorrow and enjoy your honeymoon in Hawaii, it sounds so exciting!

\- Thank you. And please try not to be too downcast, drink water, it always helps!

Sighing, she rinsed her glass and went back to the bedroom after they hung up. Hyo Seop was already sleeping on the bed, with his limbs spread apart and Sung Kyung couldn't help picturing him as Patrick the seastar from Spongebob. She walked to the drawer and took out a loose tee to put it on instead of his jacket, turned the lights off and lied down on the bed, curling up next to him. He put his arm around her body as she rested her head on his bare chest and gave a soft kiss on her hair. 

\- We need to turn our devices off on our honeymoon. - he murmured half asleep and she couldn't agree more. 

\- Let's inagurate this bed **after** we get back, okay? - she whispered, but he was already back to sleep by then.

Sung Kyung woke up with her head on his broad shoulder, his big hand on her hips. A sight she was about to wake up to each and every day and she felt like she could burst out from happiness just by thinking about it. Hyo Seop was slumbering so peacefully, she was very careful not to wake him up as got out of bed. Going down, the first thing she did was giving food to the cats. Baul was already purring loudly as he rubbed himself to her legs. She'd always been a morning person and now she was especially glad to make breakfast for both of them. With the plates of scrambled eggs and tomatoes on a tray, she went back to the bedroom. As she closed the door behind her, Hyo Seop woke up to the smell of food. 

\- No, I wanted to wake up sooner to make you breakfast. - he said, pouting.

\- You can do the dishes, hubbie! And actually, I was planning to do this ever since you proposed to me. - she admitted. - I love taking care of people I love, you know.

Hyo Seop didn't say anything, he just put his hand on her face, his **thumb** rubbing her cheek and pulled her in for a soft kiss.

\- Babe, Zoe's gonna be here soon and you aren't even dressed! - Sung Kyung said, shaking her head in disbelief when she went to the living room. Hyo Seop was watching soccer on TV in nothing but boxers, with Baul in his lap.

\- What time is it?

\- Half past four!

\- Already?! - his eyes widened and he turned the TV off at once, getting up from the armchair. - I haven't even packed anything!

\- Then you're lucky to have an amazing wife like me. - she grinned. - I already packed everything for you.

\- Did you really? - he sighed in relief and pulled her closer by her hips, giving a short kiss on her lips. - Thank you, Clums. You're the best.

\- Seriously though. Why do all men become babies after they become husbands? Mom was totally right. - she said, rolling her eyes.

\- You're so cute when you're grumpy, you know that, right? - he smiled at her and she gave in. Usually, his smile always made up for every mistakes he made.

\- Now go upstairs and get dressed, she'll be here in a couple of minutes. - she said, smacking his bum playfully as he bypassed her. He looked back at her, laughing and she winked. 

\- We can't get there soon enough I guess. 

Just when he went up the stairs, the doorbell rang. It was Sung Kyung's sister, Zoe with Gureumee. As soon as they entered the house, the little dog started running up and down the house, exploring the new environment. The bedroom's door upstairs was open so she went in and was more than happy to find the kind, tall man she liked so much there. 

\- Hey buddy! - he smiled and leaned down to lift her in his arms and the dog started licking his face. 

\- So how's married life? - Zoe asked as she sat down on the sofa. 

\- It hasn't even been one day and he already turned into Dad. I even had to pack his suitcase. - she shook her head.

\- Until he starts leaving his dirty socks everywhere in the house, he's all good I think. But seeing you smile, I'd say you don't mind babysitting him that much. 

\- No, I really don't. Besides, I kinda owe him for last night. 

\- Bib! What happened? - Zoe asked, smirking. 

\- Nothing. And that's just it! We were in the middle of... Well you know. And then Min Ji called me, drunk. By the time we hung up, he was already asleep.

\- I swear to God I could smack that head of hers sometimes! - she growled. - Poor Hyo Seop, he must've been so disappointed! 

\- You don't have to be too sorry for him, I mean we're going on our honeymoon today!

\- Are you excited? - Zoe smiled, lifting Baul up and put him on her lap.

\- What do you think? Last time we were abroad together, we came back as an engaged couple. And now we're married. I keep pinching myself, sometimes I still can't believe all of this is happening to me.

\- Oh come here, you! - Zoe smiled and hugged her sister tight. 

\- Ahn Sung Kyung. I like the sound of that. - she smiled, looking at her picture in the passport as they were waiting for their luggage. The time difference was crazy there. While in Seoul, it was already Monday, around 1 in the afternoon, in Honolulu, it was still Sunday evening. 

\- Not as much as I do. - he smirked and pulled her closer to give a long kiss on her cheek.

\- Can't wait to finally get the cards with my new name on them. Ahn Sung Kyung. Ahn Sung Kyung. I think I'll get used to it quite easily. 

\- Can I tell you a secret?

\- Hm. 

\- I started calling you Ahn Sung Kyung in my head right after you said yes. Jeez, my twenty-year old self would kick me in the balls for being so cheesy, I'm blaming you for this! - he shook his head, laughing in disbelief.

\- Why are you so cheesy and why do I like it so much? Oh look, they're coming! - she said, looking behind his back as their suitcases appeared on the conveyor belt. Hyo Seop turned around and lifted them off, not letting Sung Kyung carry either of them. The taxi took them to the beach where they boarded the boat which took them to Maui where they had their hotel reservation. Both of them were mesmerized by mother nature's beauty on the way. Also for Sung Kyung, even hearing her husband speak English made the experience even more amusing, she decided she would really take **language lessons** from him, properly this time. They tried it earlier too but failed because all the "lessons" turned into heavy makeout sessions and although she didn't mind them at all, her language skills hadn't improved one bit.

They were sitting in the front, watching the view as the sunset painted the ocean in different colours. They bypassed several smaller islands with palm trees on them, they really did look like the ones in movies. - I have to admit, I totally get now why you've always wanted to come here. - she said, leaning her head on him as he put his arm around her, caressing her waist gently with his fingertips. 

\- I'm glad I waited though, because I get to experience it all for the first time with you. - he smiled and kissed the corner of her mouth. 

\- Um... Excuse me? - they heard someone from behind and they turned around. It was a girl, with her phone in her hands. - You're Lee Sung Kyung and Ahn Hyo Seop, right?

They looked at each other, then back to the girl and nodded, smiling. 

\- I'm such a big fan of you, you're my favourite people ever from K-world! Can I take a photo with you? 

\- Sure! - he said, sliding away from Sung Kyung so that she could sit between them, while translating for her. They took several selfies and she also asked her boyfriend to take some too. The newlywed couple even hugged her from both sides, both of them smiling brightly.

\- Thank you! Thank you so much! I won't post them anywhere if you don't want me to, though. - she said shyly.

\- It's alright, love! - Sung Kyung said and once again, Hyo Seop was translating between them. Altough she understood most of what the girl said, it was still better that way. - They're your photos, do what you want with them. 

\- You are seriously the best, thank you guys! Enjoy your vacation! - she said and they couldn't help smirking as they watched them leave, with the girl jumping excitedly next to her boyfriend.

\- Cute, isn't she? - Hyo Seop asked as they turned back to admiring the view. 

\- I just remembered Ra Young now. How do you think she's doing? - Sung Kyung asked, referring to the girl with down-syndrome they sang songs to on her birthday before they started dating in the first place. 

\- I asked about her a couple of times before from my doctor. 

\- I'd so like to see how she's doing. Besides; she's the indirect reason we got together. 

\- I'd like to think we would've gotten married eventually either way, but you're right of course. I'll call the doc once we get back.

\- Thank you. Husband. - she added and gave a soft, long kiss on his lips.

\- Okay, if the others would see these rose petals, they would never stop teasing. - Hyo Seop stated as they entered the bedroom in their suite. The hotel was one of the most beautiful ones they'd ever stayed in. They had a view to the sea, everything was clean and exotic. It wasn't even a hotel, more like they had several smaller houses, all of them having piers to the sea. Two glasses of champagne were already waiting for them on the balcony and they decided to drink them after they unpacked everything. 

\- You should make a living from arranging everything, this one is as sublime as the European tour was! I'm so proud to have such a smart man as my partner in life. - Sung Kyung said, still in awe from the view. - And God damn it, we're on our honeymoon, we can get to be as cheesy as we want to!

She was even more hyped than before, even though they spent almost 19 hours on the plane. After they were done unpacking, it was time to finally clink those glasses.

\- What do we drink to? - he asked.

\- Our time here?

\- Be it then. - Hyo Seop said and they emptied their glasses. - And then tomorrow we'll drink to the rest of our vacations we're gonna spend together, hopefully with some munckins on our side. - Hyo Seop added and she kissed him. Like she just pushed a button on him, he kissed her back even more passionately, cupping her face in both of his hands, practically swallowing her mouth. 

\- Time to see how resilient that bed is. - she said playfully and he lifted her up by her waist, his hands under her bum, holding her up and they didn't even break away for a moment of kissing as they left for the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, pinning her wrists firmly on the sheets, making her even more aroused as he started kissing her neck. Sung Kyung got goosebumps as she felt his hot breath on her skin and crossed her legs even tighter around his torso, pulling him as close to her as she could. His hands quickly travelled to her waist from her wrists, then down to her thighs, pulling her dress up and they both lifted themselves up so she could take it off entirely. He was quick to free himself from all his clothes on him and he was now leaning over her again, propping himself up with one hand while the other was on her hips as he was sucking the sensitive skin on her chest, making her moan softly. Yes, he definitely waited long enough to finally claim her all to himself. As his fingers slid under her panties, she tilted up her chin with eyes closed as she pressed her head back onto the sheet, her fingers tugging on his hair she loved so much. 

\- Make me yours, Paul! - she panted, pulling him back again to kiss him and as usual, he glady obeyed. They never reached the high peaks of exploding pleasure as much as they did that night, several times and Sung Kyung'd never enjoyed more to give back what she got from him later on. Ever since they were together, all her previous partners seemed to be merely just appetizers, but Hyo Seop was definitely a **full meal** she could never get enough of.

\- I hope I made up for last night. - she said, breathing heavily as they were lying next to each other, her head on his biceps. His chest was moving up and down fast too. 

\- I should say you exceeded all expectations! - he said, raising his upper arm so he could plant a kiss on her hair. - But we still have many days to spend here, so brace yourself, our **Honeymoan** 's just started. - he added, smirking and she lifted herself up, crossing her long leg over him, her hand on his sweaty chest; she was drawing tiny circles with her fingertips on his smooth skin. 

\- Hyoseopie, where did that gentleman from yesterday go?

\- He's lying there, I took him off. - he laughed, pointing to the chair his clothes were on. 

\- Well I have to admit, I'm more than happy to meet **Abs nation** again. - she said and kissed him again. The sun was already rising under the sea, but the night for them continued.


	2. Pahoehoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their honeymoon continues with more fun and adventures. Plus, Zoe finally gets the answer to a very important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just found out Hyo Seop's cat is actually a female he mistook for a male and I just had to include that here, it was too good to miss. He can be so dumb sometimes but I love him nonetheless, bless his heart. 🥰💜💙💚

She woke up to Hyo Seop's steady breathing tickling her face. Sung Kyung lifted her head up slowly to look around. The sun was already shining brightly and she had a feeling it was way past morning. Reaching for her phone on the night stand, she checked the time; it was already three in the afternoon. - Bloody hell! - she cursed in shock, waking the man beside her up. - Guess what time it is! - She got a shrug in response, so she showed him her screen. He didn't seem too surprised. - I feel like we've waisted the whole day! - Sung Kyung sighed, trying to get up from bed but he pulled her back by her wrist and locked her up in a tight embrace.

\- We're gonna stay here for almost ten days, I think we can let today slip. Can I just cuddle with my beautiful wife for a bit longer, please? - he asked, planting a soft kiss on her bare shoulder and she gave in after he promised they'd go for a walk in the evening. 

\- Babe, look this one. - he showed her his phone and she smacked his head playfully, pretending to be angry at him. He took the picture he showed her when she was sleeping in a very weird and twisted position. The boat they boarded was on its way to another island where the famous Pahoehoe lava flowed on the streets after the volcano erupted last month. It was their last day before leaving next morning and their programs included visiting that volcano and then dip themselves in the sea again. Ahnlee tried most of the things tourists do in Hawaii. They watched hula dancers, went hiking, tried diving to explore the sealife under the horizon, they even played golf on another island and went surfing none of them had ever done before. But mainly, they stayed in bed, enjoying the peaceful moments they got to spend together, knowing that they wouldn't get that much alone time once they're back in Seoul. Especially Hyo Seop, who was supposed to start shooting his new drama in the second half of the month.

\- No, it's so embarrassing, why would you take a photo of me when I'm sleeping like that? - she asked, covering her face in her hands. Smiling, he gently grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away to look into her eyes.

\- I only took it so that I can look at it during breaks while shooting. You were so adorable.

\- Don't give me the puppy eyes, that was still a mean move and I don't buy what you're saying. But so be it then, I'll take embarrassing ones of you as well. "Just so that I can look at them". - she added, mimicking his voice. Without saying anything, he just laughed and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. - I'm still taking your photos, you know. - she said, trying to remain serious but couldn't hold her smile back.

\- Please do!

The solidified lava was still about a good twenty minutes walk away from the beach, but it didn't even feel like that much, because the scenery was so mesmerizing they couldn't help taking photos and just being in awe in general. The grey clouds from morning got bigger and darker so that the sky was almost black now, giving great contrast with the greens of palm trees and bushes. When they finally arrived, some people were also there for the exact same reason they were: to watch the exotic phenomenon. The volcano not far from it was huge, much bigger than they'd expected it to be. It would've blended in with the sky had it not erupted about a month ago, because now it was covered in lighter grey ash. Being the models they were, Sung Kyung asked a stranger to snap a photo of them, with the volcano in the background. After that, they took several ones of each other. Earlier, they decided to make a photo album from all the pictures here along with the ones from their wedding day. Their very first relics as a family. 

\- It looks just like its name. If you're walking on it, you feel like saying 'Pahoehoe', don't you? - he said excitedly when he got up again from a squatting position as he was examining the lava from closer. Sung Kyung just looked at him and bursted out laughing. 

\- What are you even talking about?

\- Aren't I right? It's so bumpy and it goes as the hula hula dance. 'Pahoehoehoe'. - He said and started doing tiny body waves. Sung Kyung was laughing so hard she got tears in her eyes. 

\- Goodness, you're such a dork and I love you. - she said and planted a kiss on his lips. Then as if she suddenly had a great idea, Sung Kyung took her phone out again and asked him to imitate those dancers. Being the obedient husband, he did as he was told.

\- But you're not gonna post it anywhere, are you? - Hyo Seop asked when she was done recording.

\- I'm sure it's so blurry people wouldn't even recognize you, my hands were shaking from laughter. - she said, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, they heard a great thunder and they were quick to start getting back to the boat. They weren't even walking for five minutes when it started pouring. - Aish! - she cursed after she closed her bag again. - I think I left my raincoat in the room.

\- Here, take mine! - he said and got out of his.

\- Are you sure?

\- Just take it, Clums! - he smiled. - I don't mind getting soaked in the rain. - But we have to hurry up a bit, the boat can't leave without us. - Hyo Seop took her hand and they started running in order not to miss their ride.

\- Archiving your posts again? - she asked after she came back from taking a shower. He was lost in his phone when he lifted his head up to look at his wife. Her damp hair fell on her shoulders and Hyo Seop couldn't take his eyes off her body that was covered in a white towel only. He admired the view she gave: her smooth, long legs, the tiny drops of water on her skin and her doll-like face. - Hello? Earth to Paul!

\- God I hope I got you pregnant! - he said, not even trying to be wise with his words as she sat down next to him on bed. It caught her so off guads, at first she didn't even know what to say.

\- Is it weird to say I hope so too? - she grinned, smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear.

\- Wanna raise our chances? - he raised his eyebrow playfully.

Without saying anything, Sung Kyung kissed him and the packing for tomorrow was postponed to next morning.

\- Did you enjoy your time there? - Zoe asked them in the car. She was the one who looked out for the cats in their home, so it only seemed right she'd take them from the airport.

\- Oh, it was amazing, truly amazing! I'll show you all the pictures. Most of the time, I felt like it wasn't even real. And did you see how tan Paul got? - Sung Kyung said with a huge smile on her face. She was energetic as ever whilst Hyo Seop was rather half asleep.

\- Poor Jong Suk. - she laughed. He didn't understand what it was about so he looked at his wife.

\- He's so pale. He tried self tanning once but failed miserably. - Sung Kyung explained. - But please don't tease him with that, he's very self-conscious about it.

\- I guess I have to if I want to remain in the 185 And Above Club. - he smirked and closed his eyes. Within a minute, he was already sleeping. To prevent his head from bumping to the window, she gently put her hand on his face and laid it on her shoulder.

When they finally entered the house, their cats all greeted them, purring and rubbing themselves to their legs. Everything was clean, even cleaner before they left. Zoe was surely a neat person. She even put flowers in all the vases. - Baulie! - Hyo Seop leaned down to lift his beloved cat up and kissed her head. As always, he got a "Stop torturing me and let me go, hooman" look in response, but he didn't care. 

\- Oh, by the way. I've been meaning to ask this for so long. - Sung Kyung's sister said as they sat on the sofa. - Why did you name her 'Baul'?

Laughing, Sung Kyung looked at her husband. - Go on, tell her!

\- Not like you're any better with Bboi.

\- I had my reasons, okay? - she tilted her head up and folded her arms in front of her chest, pretending to be offended. 

\- So what were yours? - Zoe looked at him again, with his cat on her lap. 

\- So I thought she was a boy, obviously. - he started. - And I was like "Man, how cool we'd be together: Paul and Baul". 

\- When did you realize you were wrong?

\- When I took her to the hospital to get her injections done about two months after that. That's when she got that tiny health-care book and I saw the doc writing "female" as her gender.

Sung Kyung put her hands on her own face, mimicking Hyo Seop. - "My son... Is a woman?!" - she said, deepening her voice as much as she could and Zoe bursted out laughing.

\- Oh how many times I told her not to be a fuckboy in the neighbourhood before I found out about her gender. - Hyo Seop said, still shaking his head in embarrassment. - Well as a matter of fact, she didn't turn out to be one for sure.

\- Oh my, you two were so meant to be together! - Zoe said, rubbing her eyes. Hyo Seop realized how similar the Lee sisters were when laughing. - Biblee was so determined to name her cats TtuTtu and Bboi, she didn't even care that both of them were females. You're such weirdos, you know that right?

Without even saying anything, Hyo Seop put his arm around her shoulder and smiled at her. 

\- So tell us, how were things here? Did something interesting happen? - Sung Kyung asked. 

\- Not much. Oh, dad finally got a new phone. He's still struggling with it. 

\- "Why do they need to complicate things?" - she mimicked his voice.

\- Yeah, that's just what he said! But other than that, nothing worth mentioning happened, really. You tell me instead. What's your Hawaii Top 3? After that, I'm leaving. 

\- I'm not sure. Paul? - she leaned back, thinking about her answer.

\- Hm. One of them has to be the scuba diving for sure. And the lava maybe. And our accomodation.

\- You went to Hawaii; one of the most exotic places in the world and your room was in the top 3? Seriously? - she laughed.

\- Well I gotta admit, it was very nice. - Sung Kyung came to her husband's defense. - But if I really had to choose three things, I'd say the beauty of mother nature, the atmosphere and the scuba diving. 

\- Babe, look at all these funny thirst comments under your latest post. - Sung Kyung said laughing, showing him her screen. - I'd be jealous if they weren't so cute.

And she truly meant it. She still remembered the early times when many people kept commenting about her ex under Hyo Seop's posts and hers as well, most of them were very disrespectful. Sadly, even up to that day, there were still some comments like that, but they learned to pay (or at least try to pay) less attention to those. In fact, she was just about to upload the photo the older man took of them with the volcano in the background. The one he took before they looked in the camera, staring at each other lovingly, with bright smiles on their faces.

\- Are you sure about that though? I don't want you to get hate again, remember all the articles about the last time we posted something together? You were so down after that. - he looked at her, concerned. 

\- I don't care. Let me have the right to post anything I want to. If it's about my husband, so be it then. I was careful enough already in the past years and it's my life. But if you don't want me to post it, I won't. - she added, looking at him. For a minute, he didn't say anything, just stared at her with such adoration is his eyes she blushed.

\- I was hoping you'd say that. - Hyo Seop smiled and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Bboi was sleeping in his lap; it was already dark outside. About an hour later, he posted a selfie they took on the boat. After they dropped the bomb, both of them turned their phones off, leaving the mess they created there and went to bed. - Did you ever think one day we'd be able to do all that? - he asked, his wife in his arms as he was caressing her hair. 

\- After everything that's happened? Never. I didn't ever dare playing with the idea of being so carefree. And I'm so grateful we took our chances then. 

\- I would've taken them the first time too. - Hyo Seop sighed. - I still feel like we've been robbed almost two years of our lives together.

\- It was meant to be like this. Who knows? You were still on the rise then, maybe it wouldn't even have worked out between us due to our schedules. Don't you think so? 

\- I'd like to believe that's not true. Let's not even talk about that. You're here, in my arms, and I'm so happy to call you my wife.

She raised her head to look into his eyes and kissed him slowly.


	3. A movie that turned into something else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After doing a wedding-themed photoshoot, they decide to do all the things every other couples do, including watching a funny movie together. Hyo Seop had no idea how much anxiety it would cause him the next day.

\- Are you feeling nostalgic too? - Hyo Seop asked as they were sitting in his car, on their way to the photoshoot they agreed to do. It was a concept shooting where she was supposed to wear   
several wedding gowns and was already excited to see her husband in suits. After the media finally found out about their marriage, the internet was blown up completely, especially in   
South Korea. They haven't even been back from their honeymoon for two days when their agencies called them they should have a meeting where Hyo Seop and Sung Kyung were informed about everything. They were excited but nervous as well, although none of them wanted to admit the latter. They've come so far and doing a photoshoot wouldn't have made things any worse for those who never even liked them in the first place anyway. 

\- Tell me about it, stud. - she looked at him, smiling. - I still remember that day clearly. You were so shy then! Did I ever tell you that I watched your interview with your confession when we were apart? Sometimes, that was the only thing that could help me fall asleep at nights. I still have it on my phone, actually. 

Hyo Seop looked at her for a brief moment (he was driving), took her hand and kissed it softly.

\- I still think we have to thank our fans for our lives now. If it wasn't for them, who knows what might've happened? The title of this photoshoot should rather be something like "Thank you, fans!", don't you think so?

\- You're so right! Well even if we can't change the title, we should definitely mention that in our interview. 

The nostalgic feelings stayed for both of them later on. Hyo Seop's breathing got heavier when he first saw her changed into a dress, just like on the day of their very first photoshoot together that involved just the two of them. And Sung Kyung, just like she did then; was energetic as ever, making sure Hyo Seop had a great time shooting. His shyness improved a lot in the last couple of years but it only took her a look in his eyes to know if he was feeling awkward, which he did at the beginning of that day's shooting. Several photos with different backgrounds were shot; some inside, some in the yard and apparently, they were going to continue shooting next day at the beach. The beach. When they mentioned that, the newlywed couple stole glances at each other, smiling. That's where it all started again for the first time. After they were done for the day, a lady asked them to stay and answer a couple of questions she had for them. They included ones like when they got engaged exactly, how hard it is to maintain a relationship in their industry and where they see themselves in ten years. At that question, both of them smiled. They had that talk on their honeymoon as well and the memory of it made them entirely happy.

 _They were taking a bath in the tub filled with bubbles up to the point where it spilled whenever they moved a bit. That day was especially tiring for them after all the hiking and surfing later on the sea. Sung Kyung leaned on Hyo Seop's chest, her head resting on his collarbone as he was caressing her arm gently, sometimes planting kisses on her cheek or the skin on her_ _smooth shoulder_ _when he felt like it._

_\- We definitely have to get back here one day. - she said, sighing. It was a sigh of relief and peace._

_\- We totally should. What do you think, should we make it a regular thing? - he asked, pushing her hair away, smoothing it behind her ear to see her face properly and she turned her head to look at him. - How about five years from now? We could go here every five years. Hopefully with some of our 'Mini Me's next._

_Sung Kyung couldn't help smiling from ear to ear at that thought. - I would love that!_

_\- So it's settled then._

_\- What is it? - he asked later_ _, knowing something was on her mind._

_\- I was just thinking. Where do you see us ten years from now? Do you think we'll still be acting then? - she looked at him again._

_\- Ten years from now... Well to start with, I think our house will be as loud as possible if our kids will be half as energetic as you are. - he laughed at that thought. - About acting... I don't see myself giving up on that and neither should you, but it might be a good idea to invest in something else as well. I don't know, a café maybe? Restaurant? Or you could start your own dance school; your very first dancing video is still something I watch regularly up to this day. I'm sure you'd nail that too!_

_\- Thanks, babe! - she said and kissed his lips. - And yet we never danced together except for our wedding! We should've totally done a collab or something!_

_\- Yeah but we weren't even supposed to meet up back then, remember? - he reminded her of the times their relationship was kept a secret._

_\- What about now? We're married and once they get to know about that, they wouldn't be too shocked about a video with you on my channel. - Sung Kyung's eyes lit up in excitement._

_\- I don't know... - he scratched his neck._

_\- Please! - she said, pouting. - Please? I'm asking you as your wife and future mother of your children._

_\- You just had to play that card! Cunning. - he laughed. - How can I say no to that now?_

\- What do you like the most about each other? - they were brought back to present by the interviewer's next question. 

\- Well, that's a pretty hard one. Should we only say one thing? I don't think I could emphasize just one. - Sung Kyung said, blushing.

\- Try to think about one, please. But if you really can't, you can also say three things if you want to. - the lady said and Hyo Seop saw how deep she was in her thoughts. 

\- I think I know mine. - he raised his hand, without even hesitating much.

\- Oh that was fast. Go on, please!

\- Wait, no, this is too cheesy. 

\- Please. It's a wedding photoshoot. 

\- Go on, Paul! - she elbowed him encouragingly.

\- I think what I love about her the most is the shy smile when I tell her I love her. I never really said those words out loud before she came along, I mean out of my dramas. And she makes me want to say it each and every time, just to see her smile like that. 

\- Awww! - the interviewer said and Sung Kyung just smiled shyly. It was the exact same smile Hyo Seop was talking about. 

\- Okay, I'll tell you mine, but maybe you should cut this part, it might be a bit too much for some people. - he said, going red in his ears.

\- So what are yours, then?

\- I like how mature he really is while still being goofy when we're alone. I love his professionalism and dedication when it comes to work, but I think what I love the most about him is how kind and genuine he really is. - she said, looking at him again. - Okay, you can really cut that out! - she laughed, turning to the interviewer again. 

It was already dinner time when they got back next day from sandy beach. They decided to cook together, because it was Hyo Seop's very first day on set for his new drama next Monday and they wanted to enjoy everything they could together before their life would turn back to normal as in both of them having busy schedules. After dinner, they were doing things every other couple would do regularly: watching a movie with a glass of wine in their hands. It was about a man dating 7 women without getting busted for a long time. It was a funny one, they were laughing so much they had to rub their eyes multiple times, although the wine must've helped in that too. 

\- Well it was definitely a good choice! - she said, turning the TV off. - But it also makes me even more grateful you were never that type of guy. 

\- Never? Ahjumma, how would you know that? I could've been even worse before we met. - Hyo Seop only meant that as a joke, not knowing he gave an idea to his wife with that comment. 

\- Prove it then! - she said, smirking. There was something in her eyes that changed, but he didn't quite know what was going coming, being clueless as he usually was. - What would you do if we only just met now and you were like him? - she asked, referring to the main lead in the movie.

\- Hm? - he looked at her, confused. - Babe, I was only joking!

\- Let's say we're not actors and we didn't work together on a drama. We're at the... Bar or something. What would you do?

\- Well first of all, I would have to drink a lot more than this to take up the courage to even talk to a woman like you. Until then I'd only watch you from afar.

\- Alright then. Go away. 

He looked more than confused and just stared at her with big eyes. - What? - Was she angry at him for not being enthusiastic enough about her idea? Did it mean he'd be banned from their bedroom that night?

\- There. From where you'd watch me in the bar. Let's pretend you drank as much as you needed to finally approach me. - she said, giving him the orders. That's when he realized what she was aiming at. Hyo Seop laughed to himself, scratching his neck.

\- Do you want me to hit on my own wife?

\- Absolutely. Go on! 

Before he'd obey, Hyo Seop went out to the kitchen again and returned with a new bottle of wine in his hand. - It might come handy if I'm really gonna seduce you tonight. - he winked.

Next morning, he woke up in an empty bed. He had a terrible headache and found himself in his clothes from yesterday. What happened last night? And where was his Clums?

\- BABE?! - he raised his voice so she could hear him, but got no answer, so he got out of bed and went downstairs. She wasn't there. Hyo Seop went back to get his phone. He had some missed calls from Josh and a couple of text messages as well. He opened them after he texted Sung Kyung, asking where she was.

HS: Dude. I think I jut cheated on ym wife.

JW: What the hell, man? Where are you?

HS: In her... Bedroom? I dont even remmber how I got here!

JW: How drunk are you? 

HS: I DONT KNOW!!! Clums is gonna kill me

JW: Well, you're in the soup, buddy.

Just before he could call him, he got a message from Sung Kyung and at first, he didn't even dare to open it.

SK: I'm at Zoe's, I told you about it yesterday. I'll be done here soon and buy you some painkillers, we don't have any at home. How are you feeling?

He was even more confused. What the hell really happened last night?! 

HS: Why are you asking? - that was the safest message he could think of then.

SK: Babe, you were so drunk last night!

HS: I... I know? 

Sung Kyung was having the time of her life laughing at her husband with Zoe beside her. They were having brunch together, which was her idea. 

\- Bib, put that poor man out of his miseries already! You're so mean! - she said, but couldn't hold her laughs back. 

\- Should I? He's so entertaining.

\- Bib!

\- Okay.

SK: Paul. You didn't cheat on me.

She got no answer for a while. Just when she was about to put her phone away, someone called her. The name 'Paul' appeared on her screen.

\- What are you talking about? What happened yesterday? Please don't be mad at me I swear I didn't mean to do anything wrong, I love you so much, Clums, please don't leave me! - he said without even taking breaths between the sentences. 

\- Babe. Calm down. I'm not leaving you. - she said, laughing. 

\- You aren't? - his voice was more than surprised. 

\- I'm not. It was **I** you seduced last night, do you really not remember anything?

\- Do you think I remember anything?! - Before Sung Kyung could go on, he continued. - Wait a minute! I remember vaguely about some suggestion you made! Did that also happen or I just imagined it?

\- It happened. I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd go all paranoid after that. I told you to seduce me like we only met for the time and you got a bit... Well very drunk in the process of it all. And then when you wanted to kiss me, you got scared and said you had a wife.

\- What a relief. - he sighed. - So what happened after that?

\- I told you I was your wife and we stopped playing that stupid game. I thought that was it, but then when we went to the bedroom later and you kissed me, you started panicking again, saying you couldn't cheat on your wife because you loved her so much. Thanks for that, by the way, it's good to know. - Sung Kyung added and Zoe kept giggling in the background. - I guess I shouldn't blame you, it was very dark there and you were quite pissed... Actually, you didn't even drink that much, so I don't know what happened to you, really... The point is, we kept going those circles. Me reassuring you I was your wife and it was all just a game and you getting paranoid later again. After a while, I've had enough of it and left you there to take a bath instead.

\- That's when I must've texted Josh! - Hyo Seop said, shaking his head in embarrassment.

\- You texted him? 

\- I did. He called me several times after that but I didn't answer.

\- You should definitely call him back then. 

\- I'll do that. So the point is; I didn't cheat on you, right? 

\- No, you remained faithful, even against me. Now call him, I'll be home with the painkillers in about twenty minutes. - she said and hung up, still laughing. - God, I love this dork so much! 

\- ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?! - Josh shouted on the phone after Hyo Seop told him everything. - You can't be serious. 

\- I'm sorry. 

\- You should be! Do you know I didn't sleep a minute after your messages?! I felt so bad. Couldn't even decide if I felt mad at you or sorry. And I kept thinking: "Should I be covering for him?" But felt like a jerk because you have an amazing wife. 

\- Sorry.

\- Swear to God, I'm sure I have some new grey hair now, thanks to you! You're lucky I'm not there right now because I'd punch you in the face! 

\- You can do that when we hang out next time! 

\- Nah, that won't be that much fun then. - he sighed. - And I suppose I should be glad my best friend is a faitfhul fella, right?

After they hung up, Hyo Seop sighed in relief. Josh might have grown some new grey hair that day but he was sure he must've earned some too in just about an hour. One thing he promised himself was that he should never do play roles while drunk ever again. 


	4. I still get jealous

Sung Kyung decided to drop by the set he was working at after she finished her photoshoot for that day. She signed for a new campaign with a prestigeous jewellery company last month and she thoroughly enjoyed working with them. The photographer was perhaps a bit too friendly, but she didn't give too much meaning to it and focused on doing her best as always. Hyo Seop's new drama was a huge success already, even though it only aired a couple of weeks ago. She was very proud of him, partly because hello, she was proud of him no matter what he did and he was doing an excellent job portraying the villain in the drama, something which couldn't be any further from his true character. 

It was already after six when she got there with two cups of ice coffees in her hand. One for her, one for him. She asked a member of the staff there where Hyo Seop was and she went inside, following the directions they gave her. Their schedules were crazy lately and there were days when they didn't even get to meet each other at home. By the time Sung Kyung came home, Hyo Seop was already sleeping and vice versa. She missed him terribly, the only things that kept her spirits up were his texts and phone calls, making sure she knew he was thinking about her. When she entered the room, she saw him and the woman she once worked with for a short time beside him, patting his shoulder. He didn't even seem to realize Suzy touched him; he just kept talking to the director on his other side and Sung Kyung felt a strange kind of satisfaction. Suzy was a beautiful woman, hardly any men was indifferent to her charms so she was somewhat relieved by that scene. With the brightest smile on her face, she walked forward and poked his bum. Hyo Seop's eyes lit up the moment he saw her and almost kissed her before noticing the two cups in her hands. It probably wouldn't be the best if his clothes got stained in the middle of shooting. 

\- Hey babe! - he smiled and she gave him his coffee. - Thanks, what a nice surprise! - she blushed by the others' gazes as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek. 

\- Hey! - she smiled, waving to Suzy and Bo Gum. They portrayed the lead couple. It would have made Hyo Seop the second lead in a romantic drama, but this one was different; it focused on his character and how he became so evil by the end.

\- Hi there! - they said, smiling back at her. 

\- Sorry, can I take a little break? - Hyo Seop asked the director and he nodded. 

\- ALRIGHT, COFFEE BREAK, EVERYONE! BE BACK IN FIFTEEN MINUTES! - the director said out loud and everyone left the room in a minute. Hyo Seop put his hand on Sung Kyung's lower back and escorted her out, showing his wife around set, explaining her what's what and some stories he shared with the staff there. He told her everything top secret about the drama and she promised not to tell them to anyone, trying hard to hold back her smile. He looked so excited and she couldn't help comparing him to a puppy who was happy to see his owner getting home at the end of a long day. Sung Kyung told him about the upcoming event she had: the launch party for the new jewellery line she was promoting and she wanted him to come. How could he say no to her? 

They barely finished their coffees when the director called him back to shoot their last scene for that day. Meanwhile, Sung Kyung started talking to some of the staff there who are never shown on camera. She was one of the very few actors who actually showed her gratitude and appreciation towards them, knowing they are just as important parts of the dramas as the actors themselves. She was so caught up in listening to them, she didn't even notice Hyo Seop coming in at the door behind her. When he got closer, he stopped and grabbed her wrist, turning her around and caught her from bumping to him by putting his hands firmly on her hips. The people, especially the women around them exchanged looks between each other, discussing how good they looked together without actually using words.

\- Can we go home now or am I disturbing something? - he asked, grinning. His hands were still on her. Before she could answer, Suzy appeared behind him. 

\- Hyo Seop? We are planning to get drinks now, do you wanna come? - she asked and Sung Kyung moved her head to see her properly. - Oh. Well, you can come too if you want to! - she smiled. Hyo Seop turned around and looked at her then back his wife. 

\- I'm not really in the mood but we can go if you want to. - smiling, she shook her head and he turned to Suzy again. - Sorry, maybe another time. 

\- I'll hold you to that. - she winked and left. Sung Kyung's eyes widened at that but she held herself back from making any remarks. She remembered she was very comfortable and friendly with Jong Suk on set a couple of years ago too.

\- Good answer, hubbie! - she deepened her voice and gave a short kiss on his lips. - You basically spend all your time here, let that be enough for her! 

Hyo Seop laughed to himself as they headed out of the building. 

\- Are you jealous by any chance? - he asked, elbowing on the roof of his car. Sung Kyung parked next to him. 

\- Me? Jealous? Please. As if! I'm not saying I'm not glad you don't get to kiss her though. 

Hyo Seop smiled again.

\- Of course. Well I know you're not jealous, otherwise I would tell you you have absolutely no reason for that. She knows I have a wife whom I want to spend all the time I could spare with and I also happen to know she's seeing someone so let's just let her spend time with whoever that is. - he winked. 

\- Wait, how do you know that?

\- I saw someone picking her up. Couldn't see his face though, because he was wearing a mask. - Hyo Seop shrugged and opened the door. He saw Suzy and the mistery man about a week ago. All he remembered was that he was tall and had a baseball cap on him.

\- Oh, okay then. Well, whoever he is, I hope they'll treat each other right. - Sung Kyung smiled and sat in her car, pulling out of the parking lot and Hyo Seop followed her.

When they got home, the cats greeted them by the front door and the first thing they did was to feed them. Sung Kyung poured water into two glasses and went into the living room with them, where Hyo Seop was already sitting on the couch, leaning back, both arms stretched out. She sat next to him and gave him one of the glasses. 

\- Thanks, babe! 

\- You know... - she put hers on the stand, straightening herself up ad tightened her ponytail. - Since it's been too long you and I got to spend quality time together here, I thought... - she lowered her voice, putting a hand on his torso and started caressing him teasingly with her fingertips. Even if Hyo Seop was a bit tired before, her words made him wide awake. Sung Kyung stood up. - We should do yoga together!

Hyo Seop wrinkled his eyebrows, frowning.

\- Yoga.

\- Yeah. It would be so much fun! And healthy! You overwork yourself lately! Wait here, I'll get the ma...

She couldn't finish what she wanted to say because he got up, grabbed her wrists and pulled her back. His hands firmly on her waist now, securing her in place, he looked into her eyes, their faces only an inch away.

\- I could come up with some poses and still call it couple yoga. - he smirked and kissed her when she weaved her fingers behind his neck. He missed the taste of her lips so much lately he felt like he got drunk just from kissing her. Then his tongue found its way into her mouth and the kiss deepened as he pushed her gently on the couch again. Sung Kyung seemed to long for him just as much as he did; her hands were quick to lift his shirt up and she planted heated kisses on his neck and chest while he was busy unzipping her pants. Their mouths meeting again, his hands traveled up her body; from her hips up to her waist and then her bra under the oversized grey shirt she borrowed from him that morning. His hands were big enough on her body to hold her by her sides whilst gently rubbing her breasts just above the bra. He was now kissing her neck, sucking the sensitive skin on it and she tugged his hair with closed eyes, her hands couldn't get enough of touching all the muscles on his back and arms. - Be aware of the possible hickies next day. - he panted as he pulled away so that she could take off her shirt. 

\- Wait! - she said just when he was about to unclasp her bra. - Shouldn't we inaugurate one of the guest rooms now? I feel a little uncomfortable with Baul watching us. - she laughed and he turned his head to find his cat sitting by the door, looking at them with a judging face. 

\- Yeah we should, I don't want her to get trauma. - he laughed, got up and lifted his wife up in his arms, bridal style. They were still laughing when he put her on bed. The walls were painted light beige and the furnites were white with wooden installments. Everything was nice and elegant. Hyo Seop pulled away to take his pants off and then he kissed her again, supporting himself on his left elbow so his weight wouldn't crush her fragile frame, while his right hand was on her waist. This time, it was **her** kissing his neck and she crossed her legs just above his bum to pull him as close as possible to her. Hyo Seop's fingers found their way to her back and finally unclasped her bra, throwing it away. 

With one last thrust, he fell on bed beside her, both of them panting after their second round which was less heated but even more intimate. Still catching her breath, she turned to her side and rested her head on his chest, kissing the drops of sweat off his smooth skin. - God, I missed you so much, Paul! - she said and he wrapped his arm around her body, planting a long kiss on her slightly dishevelled hair. 

SK: Babe, is it correct this way?

Hyo Seop read her text message before starting the engine of his car. He was on his way to the launch party Sung Kyung asked him to come. She was already there because she had some things to do and told him he could come later when the party actually started. He was on set earlier that day and she wanted him to rest a little. Since it was a private party, he didn't need to ask his glam team to get him ready, also Sung Kyung already prepared everything for him on the bed. Black smart pants with a black shirt, because she was wearing a cut out black dress that night. 

HS: It's "their", not "there". 

He texted back, smiling after he checked the story she posted on Instagram. 

HS: Although I doubt anyone would even notice that tiny mistake, you look so hot and I can't wait to get you out of that dress later when we get home!!!

Sung Kyung blushed as she read his message and re-uploaded the picture with the correct English caption. Leaving the rest room, she went back to the others.

\- My darling, you did an amazing job, thank you! - a slightly feminine middle aged man told her when she stopped at one of the tables to talk to a gang of people she knew back from her modelling-only days. He was the owner of the jewellery brand.

\- I'm so happy you're pleased with the photos, I had a great time working with you! - she smiled. After talking to everyone, making sure she had a nice word for all the people she spoke to, her glass was empty again and she went to the bar to get it refilled with champagne. 

\- This is a very good one, isn't it, my love? - the photographer she worked with asked her. She had no idea where he came from, he appeared out of nowhere.

\- Yeah, it's really good. - she said, taking another sip from the mentioned champagne. 

\- I got it shipped from France, you know, this is actually mine. - the slightly balding man boasted. He was the same height as her and with her high heels on, she even towered him that night. When he put his hand on her waist, she took a step away from him, still smiling at him not to be rude. 

\- Well again, it's worth it. - she said, starting to feel a little uneasy when he stepped even closer, his hand still on her lower back.

\- You know... I had it brought here because I thought you'd like it.

\- Thank you. - her smile was forced now as his hand slipped a bit lower on her, it was basically just above her bum. 

\- Anything for my favourite muse. - he leaned closer. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, he was probably a bit tipsy by then, even though it wasn't even ten. - You know... You're my favourite. - he whispered, his hand was now on her bum completely. She shook it off gently but he put it back and continued: - You and I make a pretty good team together. Do you wanna... - once again, he leaned even closer. - Collaborate with me later on at my house?

It was the last straw for Sung Kyung. She shook his hand off her body firmly and took a step away. 

\- I don't know if you remember, but I'm married. - she could hardly even hear her own voice, the music and the people talking around them were too loud.

\- So what? It's always fun to break the rules sometimes... - he pulled her closer by her waist again. She was just about to push him away when someone grabbed him from behind and did the job for her. It was a tall man dressed in all black. Her Paul. 

\- Would you let go of my wife, please?! - his voice was even deeper when he was angry. The photographer realized it wasn't worth to put up a fight and cause a scene, so he backed off, raising his hands in defeat.

\- Sorry, man. I didn't know she had a husband.

\- Yeah and I'm Santa Claus. What bullshit! Get lost before I punch you in the face! - Sung Kyung had never seen him so tense before. Alright, well not lately at least. The man finally left, cursing to himself. - Are you okay? - Hyo Seop asked Sung Kyung as he took her hand in his.

\- Yeah. Thought you were gonna cause a scene here. I'm so glad you didn't though. 

\- There's no point, he's just a pathetic jerk. - he said, trying to act cool, although she could hear from his voice how upset he was. - I just can't believe you still have to go through things like these, even now that you're married. - Sung Kyung smiled at him as he caressed the skin on the back of her hand.

\- You know the majority of them are perfectly fine. Jerks can be found everywhere. I suppose there goes my chance of working with him together again though. - she smirked, trying to lift up his mood. He was always so protective when it came to her and she just loved him even more for that. 

\- Well I bloody well hope so! I don't want to see you near that prick ever again, alright?! 

\- Hm. Okay.

\- Gosh, under other circumstances, I would have punched him for real. People like him deserve it so bad. These are the times I consider following you everywhere, you're far too gorgeous and there are far too many horny men like him. - he said, growling. Sung Kyung put her hands on both side of his face and kissed him on the lips slowly. 

\- Cheer up. Nothing happened. And nothing will, I promise. Let me introduce you to the others and have fun, this is why we came here, didn't we? 

\- I'm not really in the mood right n...

He was cut off by her lips pressed onto his again. 

\- There. Did I convince you now? - she asked, smiling.

\- Hm. Convince me again! - he grinned and kissed her back, not even caring about anyone seeing them. 


	5. Déjà vu?

\- Babe! BABE! - Sung Kyung heard Hyo Seop's voice from upstairs. She was in the kitchen, making lunch for them. That day was supposed to be a cosy one for them, locking the early July heat out entirely. She made her famous lemonade he'd been a fan of ever since he was offered with them back when they just started seeing each other, making new excuses every time why they should meet again. Sung Kyung heard his quickened footsteps on the stairs and within a minute, he was by the kitchen's door. Hyo Seop was wearing nothing but loose baseball shorts, leaving his perfectly carved torso unconvered. Sung Kyung thought she'd get used to seeing him like that over time, but the butterflies were still very much alive in her stomach each time she saw him like that. Hyo Seop's phone was still in his hand as he stopped by the counter, flashing his brightest smile at her. - I was on the phone with Ray. Their son is born, we have a nephew now! - he said, stretching his arms out, inviting her wife into a huge hug. 

\- Oh my God, baby, I'm so happy for them! - she said in a high-pitched voice and hugged him tight. - I'm so excited, babies are the best!

\- Let's drink something to celebrate, this is such great news! - he took her hand in his and made her sit down on the chair. - I'm sure we have champagne somewhere... - and with that, he disappeared behind the pantry's door. When he came back with a big bottle in his hand, Hyo Seop put two glasses on the counter and started pouring the alcohol in them. When it was Sung Kyung's turn, she stopped him. - Oi?

\- I'm not drinking today.

\- Why not? - he looked at her confused. 

\- I just... Don't feel like drinking. Besides, it's better to have one of us completely sober in case we would need to use the car. 

There was something in her eyes that normally would have made Hyo Seop suspicious, but he was so over the moon he didn't notice anything, so instead, he just poured some lemonade into her glass. 

\- Well then, to our nephew! - he said and they clinked their glasses. He finished almost all of it at once. 

\- Wait, what is his name? - Sung Kyung asked when she put her glass back on the marble counter. Hyo Seop's eyes widened and he frowned, making Sung Kyung laugh in disbelief. - You didn't even ask?

\- He didn't say, alright? Besides, all I cared about was his gender and if he and the mommy were healthy. They are, by the way. 

\- I suppose Denise must be worn out though. 

\- I s'pose. Ray said he'd send us pictures later on. I can't wait to see that little pumpkin! - he said, smiling from ear to ear and Sung Kyung couldn't help wondering what an amazing father he was going to be. - Oh and he also invited us over. Can you make yourself free anytime soon? It's just for a week. 

\- For my family? Of course! - she smiled and gave a peck on his lips.

\- Now that I'm finished shooting the drama, I'm taking a break, so I thought maybe we could go there somewhere at the end of this month? Then we'd be back in time for your birthday. What do you say?

\- Let's check it with our agencies ad then we can start making plans, alright? - she asked and finished her lemonade.

\- Do you want me to help with cooking? - he stood up as she opened the cupboard to get the plates. 

\- Already done, but maybe you could set the table. I'll get changed into something else until then, my clothes smell like fish and I'm starting to feel sick because it. - she grinned and snapped his bum playfully as she bypassed him to go upstairs. Hyo Seop smiled with puppy eyes as he watched her leave.

\- Paul, can you check if I wrote it right? - she showed him the screen. They were having breakfast the next morning. Hyo Seop promised Mrs Kim he'd give her a ride to the countryside where she visited her childhood friend. Taking advantage of that, the newlywed couple decided to go for a picnic there and maybe do some sightseeing so Mrs Kim wouldn't need to get a taxi to come back by herself. Hyo Seop looked at the device and then to Sung Kyung, with his eyebrows wrinkled. 

\- Wait a minute, why have I not seen this picture before? - he asked. It was his baby nephew with Hyo Won and Denise on the photo.

\- Your sister just sent it now. So is it correct this way?

\- But why didn't she send me this one as well? - he asked, a bit offended.

\- Babe. It's in our group chat. Seriously, you're such a grandpa sometimes. 

\- Wait a minute, let me check the pic again. - he said and took the phone from her hand and started giggling over it. Then, he typed in something and gave it back to her. 

\- Thanks. Ugh, why do I suck so bad at English?

\- You're getting there babe, it was nothing. - he caressed her back gently and ate another cherry tomato. 

After breakfast, they changed from their pyjamas which only meant a boxer for Hyo Seop and some loose shorts and his tee for Sung Kyung. After they packed everything, they locked the house and left to get Mrs Kim, who was already waiting for them in front of her house. Sung Kyung couldn't help being nostalgic about the times she used to spend in that house next to the old lady's. She remembered all the sneaky dates there and a huge smile appeared on her face again. Now they were making new memories in their home.

\- Hello, Mrs Kim! - she greeted the old lady as Hyo Seop helped her in the car. - How have you been lately?

\- Hello, my dearest one! Oh you know, I sometimes feel like an old lady. But then I realize **I am** an old lady. 

\- Well you look great. Do you like your new neighbours? - she asked as Hyo Seop ignited the engine. 

\- No one can be as sweet as my darling boy, but they're nice enough alright. I miss seeing you around. - she said and patted his shoulder from behind.

\- You should come for dinner someday! - he said, looking at her through the mirror.

\- Oh I don't want to be a nuisance. You just got married, I suppose you have better things to do. Making your house a home, making babies...

\- Mrs Kim! - he laughed awkwardly, not taking his eyes off the road. Sung Kyung stayed silent and smirked. 

\- I know, I apologize for my bad tongue. So how is married life so far? I suppose now that you have a new drama, you don't get to spend as much time together as you'd like and I'm sorry for barging in your weekend. 

\- Nonsense, Mrs Kim! - Sung Kyung protested. - Besides, we decided to go for a picnic, I think we never got to repeat that date we had a couple of years ago at Han River, right? - she asked, looking at her husband. She got a bit sentimental again just by thinking about that day. It was their very first date after giving in to their feelings almost four years ago and now they were going to repeat it as a married couple. All their struggles before seemed to have paid off more than well and she never thought she'd feel this happy someday.

\- Oh. Did I tell you about my dream yesterday? - Hyo Seop asked as he raised another cherry tomato and put it in Sung Kyung's mouth. They were sitting on a mat, facing the sea, with one of his arms behind his back to support himself and she positioned herself in a cross legged sitting beside him in her light blue sundress.

\- I don't think you told me your newest one yet. - she smiled. It was one of their things. He always told her all his weird dreams which he sure had a lot of. These were the times Sung Kyung was not sure if she married a grandpa, a perfect daddy material or a silly boy.

\- I suppose I could blame the baby news for that, but in my dream, you gave birth to triplets. 

Sung Kyung straightened her back and looked at him. She was surely not expecting that!

\- Triplets? - she asked back. 

\- Yeah. Well, we were expecting to have twins only. A boy and a girl. But then another girl was born too.

\- Well it must have been... Painful for me. - she laughed awkwardly.

\- Wait, we even named them. Well I mean I did but you were still a bit out of it, so you just agreed to all of my choices. Do you want to hear them?

\- Sure! - she smiled.

\- Okay, so for the first born; our daughter: I named her Ahn Iversary. Something to remember every year the day we got married. 

\- Oh, that's cute. - she smiled, caressing the back of his hand on the mat with her fingertips.

\- Wait for the other ones! - he smirked. - So our boy was called Ahn Xious. I mean two is kinda crazy already, how are we gonna be okay on the nights they won't let us sleep?

\- You're such a dork! - Sung Kyung laughed and took a sip from the lemonade she packed. - Okay so what about our youngest peanut?

\- Right. So. Oh, I'll get back to peanut right away. So in my dream, our youngest daughter was named Ahn Nyeong. Because we already had a girl before her and she was the last to come out so we made sure she'd feel welcome. - he said excitedly, gesturing wildly with his hands and Sung Kyung couldn't help watching him with an adoring smile on her beautiful face which was glowing these days. - By the way, Peanut is quite cute actually, maybe we should call one of our real ones Peanut Butter. P for Paul and B for Biblee; what do you say?

\- I love you so much. - she smiled, pulled him closer by his nape and kissed him slowly.

\- Does it mean I'll get to name our kids when the time comes? - he asked after they pulled away.

\- Absolutely not if we don't want my dad to get a mental breakdown. - she laughed, spatting his thigh playfully. 

\- Aigoo. - he pursed his lips.

\- Come, let's dip ourselves in the water! - she stood up suddenly and within a minute, their clothes were dropped on the ground and they went closer to the sea in their beach wear, hand in hand. No one else were in their vicinity because they chose to go to a deserted beach of the village Mrs Kim's friend lived in. Sung Kyung stopped just before they reached the water and waited for her husband to try it first. - How is it? - she raised her voice so that he could hear her from the sound of waves. 

\- See for yourself! - he said and leaned down to sprinkle some water on her and she screamed a bit because it was colder than expected. 

\- Changed my mind, I'm not going in there! - she said and turned around, but Hyo Seop was fast enough to catch her and lift her slender body up in his arms. No matter how much Sung Kyung tried to fight it, he held her tight and ran into the sea, only letting go of her once they were a bit further from the shore; the water reached his chest. 

\- You! Beast! - she slapped his body, pretending to be angry, but he knew she didn't really mind, so he just laughed and grabbed her wrist to pull her closer. Their faces were only inches apart when he cupped her face in both of his hands and kissed her hard. Sung Kyung seemed to forget she was supposed to be angry at him and kissed him back even more passionately. All of her emotions were a bit more intense lately, especially her longing for Hyo Seop. She placed her hands on his chest and he lifted her up again, holding her just below her bum, still not parting their lips as the kisses turned into more of a full makeout session. Now her fingers in his hair, he bent her down a bit so the water level was just below their necks and he was now kissing her neck and biting on her earlobe as she pushed herself as close to him as she could. Both of them were a bit worn out from the 4 hours long drive but all that seemed to have gone away now that they were in each other's arms. His hands slipped under ber bikini bottom and pressed his fingertips into the skin on her bum, making her even more turned on as he lifted her a bit more again to leave kisses on her chest, through the very thin fabric of her top that exposed her just right. 

\- Wait, wait wait! - she panted, gasping for air. - What are we doing here?

\- Um... Each other? - he breathed in her ears as he was still too busy kissing her.

\- What if we get caught?

\- No one's here, baby. It's just you and me. And I really don't wanna stop now. 

\- Damn it, where are my shorts? - he laughed, still holding her in his hands after they pulled away from kissing her. 

\- See? I told you it wasn't a good idea. - she laughed, holding up an arm she tied both her bikini top and bottom on. 

\- Hell yeah it was a great idea! You know it was!

\- Well okay, maybe. But now you're one swimming shorts shorter.

\- It's a sacrifice I'll take any day. - he smirked. - But jokes aside, maybe you should get dressed and get my clothes in case we got company back there. - he pointed behind his back, to the beach where their stuff were, so Sung Kyung put first her bottom, then her top back, although the latter was a bit harder given the fact Hyo Seop kept giving small kisses on her chest in the process of it. She finally pushed him away, laughing so she could put it back on properly and left to get his linen shorts and boxers. 

Time flew so fast they didn't have any left for sightseeing, so they decided to come back again and do that another time. When they arrived back at the big house with a huge yard in it, an older man, who was the husband of Mrs Kim's friend let them in. The two women were still chatting, Hyo Seop was certain they didn't even leave that couch ever since they left them there. The only difference was that their eyes were gleaming a bit more then. 

\- Oh, you're back! - Mrs Kim stood up. - Come, we've been wanting to show you the ducks, they are supposed to hatch today. Come, come! - taking Sung Kyung's hand, they all went out, back to the shed where the eggs were lit with a special thermal lamp. 

\- So how did you spend your time here? - the other lady asked them as they were waiting for the ducklings to be born. Hyo Seop and Sung Kyung's eyes met and they could hardly hold their laughs back. The latter was just telling about how beautiful the beach was when they heard a slight cracking voice. 

\- Oh, look! Hyoseopie, look! It's coming out! - she put her hand on his shoulder excitedly and this time, Hyo Seop was the one unsure if he married a mature woman or a baby girl. The tiny fluffy thing finally got out from its shells and opened its eyes that landed on him. Meanwhile, the other eggs started cracking too and soon enough, there were five ducklings out of their shells already. - How cute! - she said on a high-pitched voice and lifted one of them in her hands. - Look at this one. What a darling! 

\- They're cute, aren't they? - Mrs Kim asked Hyo Seop and he just nodded, not even taking his eyes off her wife. 

\- Cute. 

\- Alright, maybe we should start getting back soon. - Mrs Kim stood up and so did the others. 

\- I'll get the car ready. - Hyo Seop said and overtook everyone. Everyone held their breaths back as they saw the little ducklings follow him in a row. They looked at each other and started laughing, so he stopped and turned around. - What? - they didn't need to answer because he got it when he looked down at his legs. The ducks stopped just beside his feet. - Oh God!

\- Oh yes, ducklings tend to follow the first living thing they see when they're born. And now that I think about it, the first-born looked at you first. - the old man said and Sung Kyung laughed even harder.

\- Wait, babe, I'll get the car then. - she said and bypassed him, taking the keys from his hand.

\- So what should I do now?

Sung Kyung stopped the car just in front of the gates and Mrs Kim sat inside. She couldn't help smiling when she saw one of the ducklings in her husband's hand. - Babe, there's something I need to tell you. 

\- Shoot me! - she smirked. 

\- So apparently, they consider me as their momma now. - he said with a completely serious face. - I have to say goodbye to them, especially this one here! - he said and patted its tiny head one last time with his thumb, then turned around and gave it to the old man.

\- Well then. We're off now. - Mrs Kim said from the car. - It was great to see you two! And I hope we'll get to meet again soon! - she said and Sung Kyung noticed she had tears in her eyes. 

\- Take care, have a safe drive! - the old couple said, waving at them as they left. 

\- Mrs Kim? Are you alright? - Sung Kyung asked, turning her head around to look into her eyes. She was slightly crying. 

\- It's just life, I suppose. - she said with a cracked voice. - Her breast cancer returned. The doctors said she had about three months left. I'm going to miss her so much! 

When they finally got home, it was past ten already. Both of them were feeling blue, especially Hyo Seop. The part where Mrs Kim told him how much he liked him as his own grandson made him emotional. "I'm telling you this before it's too late, my dear. Sung Kyung, please look after him when I'm gone."

\- Are you okay, babe? - she asked him as they sat on the couch. She just came back from the kitchen with a mug of soothing tea in her hand and gave it to him. 

\- Yeah, I suppose. 

\- She's still very healthy, you know. 

\- I know. I do, it's just... I guess it's just sad to even think about such things? - he sighed. Sung Kyung hated to see him like that. _"Did you tell him already?"_ ; she remembered Zoe's words. Maybe it was the right time for that. Something she'd been excited about for weeks.

\- I have something to tell you that might make you happy. - she said in a soft voice, caressing his arm gently.

\- Yeah? What is it? - he looked at him and she took his hand in hers. 

\- I'm pregnant. - she smiled. Hyo Seop's eyes widened in surprise. - Ahn Hyo Seop, you're going to be a daddy!


	6. "Daddy"

\- Ahn Hyo Seop, you're going to be a daddy!

Those words hit him like a truck, but in the best possible way. He froze for a moment and then the brightest smile Sung Kyung had ever seen appeared on his face. 

\- You're pregnant... Are you really pregnant? We're going to have a baby together? Oh my God, thank you! - his voice cracked and he pulled her in for a long kiss. Sung Kyung could feel he was still smiling as he put both hands on her neck, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. 

\- Are you happy? - she grinned, looking into his gleaming eyes and she took his hands into hers.

\- Oh baby, I never thought you could make me as happy as I am feeling right now!

Sung Kyung couldn't swear on it, but she was almost certain she saw tears of joy hiding in his eyes as he kissed her once more. Hyo Seop's hands travelled down on her body and stopped on her hips. He gave a big kiss on the fabric on her stomach and then tilted his chin to press his lips on Sung Kyung's again. 

\- Today I became a mama to a few ducklings and now you're telling me I'm going to be a daddy too? Life's never felt so good. - he said excitedly.

\- Dork! - she laughed at his unexpected remark. 

\- Does anyone know about it?

She remembered how she became suspicious when her period was already a week late. It was always as punctual as the trains in Japan, so she knew something was off. And then a week later, she bought a test and called her sister right away after she took several ones, all of them showing two lines.

\- I only told Zoe when I found out. Maybe I shouldn't have told you yet, it's still too early.

\- And leave the joy only for yourself? No way, that wouldn't be fair! Oh Clums! From now on, you have to be extra careful with everything, okay? Don't overwork yourself!

\- Babe, relax! It's like... The size of a peanut yet, I can do all the things I would normally do. Except for drinking, of course.

\- It doesn't matter. I wanna take care of my babies, alright? - he smiled and planted a soft kiss on her cheek again. - Wait a minute... - he looked at her with a cheeky smile on his face. - **All** the things, you said? - Hyo Seop asked, his hands already going under the dress on her thighs.

\- Especially this. - she whispered and let him take her dress off her. Sung Kyung didn't know if it was the hormones or just the overflowing emotions, but she wanted him even more that night as he ran his fingers all over her body, giving her goosebumps as his lips travelled from her lips to her nose then down to her neck where he started sucking harder on her skin, deliberately marking her with a hicky. She crossed her legs around his body, pulling him even closer, his hardening bulge making her even more turned on. His hands found their way to her back to unclasp the bra and they were quick to grab "his favourite pillows" a bit harder this time. 

\- So that's why they've been a bit... More inviting lately. - Hyo Seop smirked. Sung Kyung's grip tightened even more around him as his tongue wandered to one of her nipples, sucking on it while his hands moved under her panties, his fingers finally finding their way inside of her. With her eyes closed, she put her hands on the back of his head and pulled him even closer to her chest, never wanting to let go of him. 

Meanwhile, Baul just went down from one of the guest rooms, straight into the living room, only to find her owner kneeling in front of Sung Kyung with his hands on her thighs and head between them. 

*MEOW

And just with that, Hyo Seop took his linen shirt off, without even moving his head, still kissing his wife's insides and threw it right onto the poor cat. Offended, she peeled the fabric off her and went back to where she came from. 

\- She's not gonna forget tha.. Ah! - she moaned and Hyo Seop pushed himself up, leaving a trace of saliva on her body with his tongue before it met her lips: her stomach, the trench between her breasts and her neck.

\- I have to take care of my number one girl now. - he said in a deep voice and practically swallowed her lips. 

She moved her hands down his body and unzipped his shorts which he gladly took off and then her fingers moved under his boxers, pushing them down to welcome little Paul who was clearly happy to see her again. When she grabbed it, he put his hand on hers, whispering into her ears.

\- We've no time for that now, I can't wait any longer. - And with that, he opened her thighs again and pushed himself inside of her in no time, panting in her ears. - I love you so much, Clums!

He woke up to the sudden movement in their bed as Sung Kyung rushed out to the bathroom. Hyo Seop got up as well to see if she was alright and found her leaning over the toilet. He knew what was coming, so he walked behind her, kneeled down and gathered her hair back, holding it in place; that was all he could do to help her. He remembered when they were just seeing each other from time to time. Everything was so different. Back then, he didn't dare to disturb her while being sick; he just waited outside for her to be done, feeling useless. And this time, she was experiencing morning sickness because of the baby he put inside of her belly. Hyo Seop was determined to make things easier for her in any way he could, because they were in it together.

\- Are you feeling better? - he asked her, caressing her back gently as she washed her mouth and face with cold water.

\- Well, this is definitely not amongst the fun parts of pregnancy, that's for sure. - she smiled weakly and started brushing her teeth.

\- I'll make breakfast. What would you like to eat?

\- I think I'll just... Eat an apple or something. 

\- I'll cut them for you. Just go back to bed. - he smiled and went down.

\- You're a darling. - Sung Kyung said as she took the bowl of apple slices from him when he came back to the bedroom. He also made her some chamomile tea.

\- For a while I was really certain we were gonna escape the morning sicknesses. - he sighed. Weeks had passed since she told him the big news and she never felt sick until that morning. 

\- Turns out I'm no superwoman after all. - she pouted, biting down one half of an apple slice and put the rest in his mouth. 

\- To me, you always will be. - he smirked, put an arm around her and planted a long kiss on her hair. - Can't wait to find out its gender so we can start thinking about names. Peanut Butter is still an option you know. I have some more with our initials if you wanna hear them. 

Sung Kyung didn't even say anything but he went on nonetheless.

\- Pacific Beach. How cool is that? Or if it's a boy, it could be Polar Bear.

\- But **you** are my Bear. My big bear. - she smiled and scooped closer to him, burying her face into his neck.

\- Bear? How nice. I'd rather you call me Daddy from now on. - he said with a straight face but couldn't hold it as he looked down into her eyes and a smirk appeared on him as his hands wandered from her shoulder to her waist, then to her belly down under her shorts. 

\- That was... Wow that was quite something! You're so feisty lately. - he laughed and pinched her bum playfully as he positioned himself to be the big spoon behind her, taking her hand in his right below her chin. 

\- I know, right? I don't know what's gotten to me lately. Could it be the hormones?

\- Well if it is, then I'll make sure to get you pregnant many times more. - he laughed and gave a kiss on her neck, giving her goosebumps and held her even tighter.

\- So how are you feeling? - Zoe asked her sister in the café they met as she took another sip from her Vanilla Latte. 

\- Morning sickness is truly the worst, but I'm doing fine. We're all fine.

\- Are you excited to see the newest member in the Ahn family?

\- I am. He's such a cutie pie on the photos! 

\- And it will also be a great opportunity to see how your husband is with babies. - she winked.

\- That's also a plus. Besides, I can't wait to see his family again, they're all so lovely!

\- Are you going to tell them the big news?

\- Paul wants to. At first I didn't, but then he convinced me, saying we shouldn't tell them something like this over the phone and he's quite right about that.

\- Oh, I'm so excited to be an aunty! - Zoe smiled from ear to ear. 

\- You and Ji Ho could babysit him whenever you want to. - Sung Kyung said, finishing her ice tea. Zoe remained silent, her smile disappeared and she knew at once something was off. - Zoe? What is it?

\- We broke up a week ago.

\- Zoe! Oh no! I'm so so sorry! What happened? And why didn't you tell me sooner?

\- Because I'm fine. I mean that. I don't see a future with him. If that didn't change until now, I doubt it ever would have. 

\- So you were the one to break up with him?

\- Yeah. But he agreed. We parted as friends. Of course, I doubt we'd be invited to each other's weddings though. If I ever get married. - she added with a bittersweet smile. 

\- Why wouldn't you?

\- I don't know. I feel like I'll never think anyone's good enough. Does that make me a bitchy person?

\- For knowing what you want in life? Of course not! And I'm sure you'll find that man someday. You're still so young! Besides. - she scooped closer to her. - I was the same age when Hyo Seop and I started dating first. I suppose it takes time for some people to find the right one. But trust me, once you find it, you'll see it was all worth it.

\- I suppose you're right. Thank you.

Later that day, Hyo Seop met up with Josh to get some beer. They went to their favourite bar again and in about ten minutes into drinking, Josh started telling him about his latest conquests. Apparently, he was seeing his bis boss' niece a week ago and was about to go over to another woman's flat he met a few days ago. 

\- Seriously, man? - Hyo Seop shook his head. - Will you ever settle down with someone? If you keep doing this, there will be no woman left in Seoul who didn't hate you.

\- I'll settle down once I find someone that's worth giving up this lifestyle for. And not everyone can be as lucky as you are with Biblee. I wouldn't be surprised if a baby was already on the way, you look so happy it's disgusting. - he punched his arm. 

The moment those last words left his mouth, Hyo Seop looked down, trying hard to suppress his smile but failed. 

\- Wait a minute. What is that smile? - Josh looked at him, wrinkling his eyebrows. - Paul, you sly old dog! Is that true? Is she pregnant? - he asked, raising his voice a little bit and Hyo Seop tried hard to shut him up quickly. - But is she? - he asked again, this time almost whispering. His friend nodded with a proud smirk on his face. - Congratulations, man! Oh my, how exciting! When did you find out?

\- She only told me about... Three weeks ago now?

\- This is awesome news! Something we have to celebrate right now! Wait here, I'll get some soju.

\- There's no nee... - Hyo Seop tried to stop him, but he was already elbowing on the counter then.

Sung Kyung just came back from the bathroom and lied on the bed, about to fall asleep when she checked her phone one last time. That's when she saw the many many unread messages from her husband she got while she was taking a shower and brushed her teeth. 

HS: You're soooo hott you knoe that righr??

HS: You have the nicest butt. 

HS: And damn those boobies. 

HS: But your eyess arw also so pre5fy. And your smile. Yoir haiir. Everythinf on you is jsit perrrrfect. 

HS: I swear I'll never drink with Jsoh again, but he amde me whe he found out about the baby. I'm sotty, I didn't mean to tell him, please don't be mad, Biblee. 

HS: My Clumsssss

HS: I love you. 

HS: Hey there, Biblee, it's Josh. Don't worry, your husband is fine, he's just love drunk as always but I'm taking care of him. I ordered a huge jug of water so he'll be fine until I take him home, alright? And by the way, congrats on your news, soon-to-be mama! ;)

About an hour or so later, she felt a familiar weight lying down on the bed behind her and she woke up. Hyo Seop wrapped his arm around her and gave a kiss on her cheek. He smelled of toothpaste and a little bit of alcohol.

\- I'm sorry, Clums, I promise I'll do all the chores tomorrow.

\- Hm. - she murmured and pulled his hand closer to her, falling back to sleep in his embrace. 

When she came down into the kitchen to help him making dinner, her hormones acted up again. As he stood there in nothing but shorts, she couldn't help staring at him. His dark brown, slightly dishevelled hair which had a loose lock hanging in his eyes, making him effortlessly handsome, his plump lips, the mole on his collarbone she loved to give kisses on, his chiselled chest her head moved up and down with whenever she was sleeping on him, his perfectly toned abs that looked even better now that he was slightly tan and his prominent V-line that led to... She couldn't stay there any longer. 

Hyo Seop just finished cutting the green peas when he felt her hands sweeping on his skin around his waist from behind and she ran her long fingers on his stomach, sliding them under his loose shorts. 

\- What do you want? - he asked, smirking as he turned his head slightly, closer to hers. The scent of her was enough to make him aroused. 

\- You. I want **you** , Daddy. - she whispered into his ears and he turned around to kiss her. As Sung Kyung's fingers were now in his hair, tugging on it gently, he lifted her up and put her on the counter, standing between her thighs and kissed Sung Kyung harder, just to pull away the next moment. 

\- Don't you think we should finish packing first? I mean we're leaving tomorrow. 

\- No sir, it can't wait. - she said and he gladly obeyed like he always did. 


	7. Canada 2.0 - A safe space

\- Oh, you're finally here! - Mrs Ahn greeted them with a bright smile on her face as her youngest son and daughter in law entered the house with her husband behind them. It was already dark outside when they arrived and Mr Ahn was kind enough to give them a ride from the airport. He was more than willing to, actually. Both of them were very excited to have the whole family together again, even though it wasn't too long since they were in Korea on Hyo Seop and Sung Kyung's wedding. - My beautiful children, how was your flight?

\- Hi, Mom! - Hyo Seop said, giving a kiss on each side of her face after he took his shoes off. - Long as always, but we're here now. 

\- How's the new grandmother doing? - Sung Kyung asked, smiling as she hugged her mother in law.

\- Oh, I couldn't be happier, dear. Actually, that beautiful baby looks exactly like our Paul did when he was born. You'll see that yourself too; come, I'll show you some pictures. - Mrs Ahn said, grabbed Sung Kyung's wrist and pulled her to the living room, not even stopping to take a breath. Sung Kyung was reminded again how her mother in law was exactly the opposite of Paul. She's full of energy, Hyo Seop always joked about how he married his mother's younger version in Sung Kyung. Even though Hyo Seop and his mother had different personalities, they definitely had so much similarities in their looks. She was a beautiful, beautiful woman, no wonder his son was so handsome. 

\- Hyo Seop, are you hungry? - Mr Ahn asked, patting his son on his shoulder. 

\- We both ate on the flight, but I'll ask Biblee too. BABE? - he raised his voice so that the women behind the wall could hear him. - ARE YOU HUNGRY?

\- Not really. - she answered as they went back to the hall. 

\- Let's drink something then. To your arrival.

\- You can unpack your stuff first. I made the guest room ready for you if your old room's too small for you. You choose. - Mrs Ahn said, looking at her son. 

\- I think my room will be perfect too. - Hyo Seop smiled and took Sung Kyung's suitcase too, carrying it with his on the stairs. 

\- You know I can't drink. - Sung Kyung said as she kneeled down to start unpacking her suitcase. - Should we tell your parents now?

\- Well if my dad finds out, soon enough everyone else in the family will know. And I want to tell all of them together.

\- Whatever you say, babe. - she shrugged. - I'll just tell them I have a headache so I won't drink. 

Hyo Seop stood up from bed and sat beside Sung Kyung on the carpet. He put an arm around her and planted a soft kiss on her hair.

\- Who would've thought we'd have such great news to tell them when we were last here?

\- Oh, right. We weren't engaged yet when we were here and now there's a baby on the way! I love you, hubby! - she said and gave a small kiss on his lips before she continued unpacking.

Mr and Mrs Ahn (the seniors) were already sitting outside on their terrace when Ahnlee joined them. The weather was quite nice, they could hear the night's violinists playing; the cicadas as the Ahns were sipping on their drinks. Hyo Seop's mom was holding a glass of Margarita in her hand while Mr Ahn was drinking beer. - Oh you're here. - The mistress of the house got up. - What would you like to drink?

\- Biblee, try the Margaritas, she makes the best ones in town. - Mr Ahn told Sung Kyung as she and Hyo Seop sat down.

\- Or you can drink anything else, it doesn't necessarily have to be alcohol. - Mrs Ahn added, casting a suspicious look at her. 

\- I... The flight kinda tired me out and I don't want my headache to get worse. I think I'll just drink some water instead. - Sung Kyung said, looking at her husband who smiled at her. 

\- Oh wait, I'll make some chamomile tea for you, that will help you sleep better, okay? - Mrs Ahn stood up and left for the kitchen. Her husband leaned back on his chair, crossed one leg over the other casually and finished his beer bottle. 

\- Well I hope you haven't completely unpacked everything. - he smirked.

\- Why? - Hyo Seop looked at him and then elbowed on his knees with his eyes going wide. - Are you kicking us out?

\- You and your nonsense, son! - Mr Ahn spatted and Sung Kyung couldn't help smirking at their interaction. - We're going to Muskoka after you come back from Hyo Won's.

\- Muskoka? - Sung Kyung looked at her husband, waiting for an answer. 

\- We have a cottage there. It's really nice. - he smiled at her and then looked back at his father. - Why didn't you tell us before?

\- Tell what? - Mrs Ahn asked as she came back with a mug of hot tea in her hand. 

\- That we're going to Muskoka.

\- Oh right. It will be so much fun, don't you think? - she asked. - I'm sure you'll love it there, dear. It's beautiful. And we just renovated it last fall. We're staying there for the long weekend and then you can go all tourist mode if you want to once we get back.

\- Dad? Can we take the car tomorrow? - Hyo Seop asked later. 

\- Sure. But then I'll drive to Muskoka, alright?

\- Course. I don't even remember the way there.

\- When will you leave, again?

\- Around nine...ish? IF we can wake up until then.

\- So we'll leave around ten, I suppose. - Biblee laughed, putting a hand on his knee and rubbed it gently.

\- Hey! I can wake up early if I want to. 

\- Sure you can. - Sung Kyung said, trying to sound like she really meant that. Then, her eyes met Mrs Ahn's and both whispered "He won't" and laughed. They knew he had a hard time getting up early when work wasn't involved.

\- I see what you're doing there! - Hyo Seop said, rolling his eyes as he left the terrace and Sung Kyung followed him. 

\- Can I come in? - they heard Mrs Ahn's voice through the door. They were already in bed, half asleep. Hyo Seop looked at his wife and she nodded, so he got up and opened the door. - Sorry to interrupt so late, but I just couldn't wait until tomorrow. - she said and sat on the edge of their bed. Sung Kyung felt somewhat awkward, especially because she only had her panties on under Hyo Seop's loose tee she used as her PJs.

\- What is it, Mom? - he asked, getting under the blanket beside his wife.

\- Don't you two have something to tell me? - she asked, smirking as she raised her eyebrows. 

\- What exact... Oh! - Hyo Seop stopped and looked at Sung Kyung. - I think she knows. 

\- So it's true then? Am I going to be a grandmother again? - Mrs Ahn's eyes were literally lit up as she was confirmed about her suspicions. 

\- But how did you know? - Sung Kyung asked.

\- Please. I kinda guessed it the first time I saw you. You just have that glow and I have a pretty good eye for detecting pregnancies. Your boobs are also a bit bigger now and you didn't drink tonight, saying "you don't want your headache to get worse". 

\- Please, Mom, don't tell it to Dad yet. We want to announce it tomorrow. Wait, are the others gonna be there too? 

\- Well of course Ray and Denise will skip it this time, but everyone else will be there. Oh, how exciting! I'm sure you'll have a beautiful, beautiful baby! Do your parents know already? - Mrs Ahn asked, looking at Sung Kyung. 

\- We haven't told them yet. We'll do that once we get home. It's still too early, but we wanted to tell you the news in person. - Sung Kyung said.

\- I cannot wait to see your lovely parents again when the baby is born! - Mrs Ahn said, smiling from ear to ear. - Well then. - she said, getting up to leave. - I won't bother you now, good night. 

\- Good night! - they said at once as she closed the door. 

\- So your boobies gave us away, huh? - Hyo Seop asked, turning to his side after his mother left and turned the lights off. 

\- Is it really this obvious? - she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

\- Don't worry, I think only Mom's noticed it. And me, thank God. - he smirked and started tickling Sung Kyung under her armpits, where he knew she was very ticklish. It was enough for her to let her guards down; literally as he gently grabbed her wrists and pinned them down on the sheet. Their noses touched and he kissed her, one of his hands already on her waist under the tee. 

\- We're in your parents' house! 

\- And we're married. - he said, already giving tiny kisses on her neck.

\- Paul! - she hissed, trying to sound serious.

\- Alright. - he sighed and pulled his hand back, hugging her with his left arm like a child was hugging his bunny. He scooped a little down and rested his head on her chest, giving a small kiss on it before he closed his eyes. - But my first thing I'll do after this little buddy's born is to get you pregnant again, I wanna see these girls back in town. 

Sung Kyung shook her head and sighed, trying to be the more adult one this time. - Good night, Paul. 

\- Good night, babe! - he said and soon fell asleep as his head was moving slowly up and down with his favourite pillows.

Ahn Hyo Won's house was exactly like how Sung Kyung imagined. It was big, modern and full of light, thanks to the huge windows that basically fucntioned as walls in their living room. They lived in the other part of Toronto, but the neigbourhood was very similar to the one Hyo Seop's parents lived. Hyo Won answered the door when they arrived and let them in, where Denise was sitting on the couch with her baby boy in her arms. 

\- Oh, hello! - Sung Kyung said with a huge smile on her face when they entered the room.

\- Hey there! Roy just woke up! - Denise got up, holding the baby's head and they gathered around him. - Meet your nephew!

\- He's so beautiful! - Sung Kyung said in a low voice and looked at Hyo Seop. - Your mom was right, he does look like you a little bit. - she smiled. 

\- What? No, he doesn't. - Hyo Seop and his brother shook their head at the same time and laughed. 

\- He looks... Strong and healthy. - the younger Ahn said, trying to think about the right words to describe his baby nephew. Sung Kyung and Denise just laughed. 

\- Men! Ray said the exact same things when he first saw him. - the blonde woman said, shaking her head in disbelief. - Do you want to hold him? - she asked the newlywed couple.

\- Yeah, I suppose you need some practice before having your own. - Hyo Won smirked and Ahnlee looked at each other with wide eyes. - What?

\- Did she tell you already? - Hyo Seop asked.

\- Who?

\- Mom.

\- Tell me what? - his brother laughed awkwardly.

\- Heol! Are you having a baby?! - Denise asked excitedly. 

\- Yeah, we wanted to tell you that later. - Sung Kyung said, rocking the baby in her arms. 

\- Well congratulations to you! How exciting! - her sister in law smiled. - So we're gonna have another Ahn in the family soon. 

\- Congrats, man! - Hyo Won said, hugging his brother. 

\- Make sure you spoil her during this time. - Denise winked.

\- Yeah, just like I did. - Hyo Won said proudly.

\- BETTER than your brother did. - she corrected him, smirking. Hyo Seop looked at Sung Kyung who already laid the baby on the couch, babbling to him, smiling from ear to ear. He'd seen her with babies a couple of times before so he always knew she was good with children, but seeing her with his baby nephew was somehow different and he just fell in love with her a little bit more. 

\- Don't worry, I will. - he said and Denise couldn't help swooning over the heart eyes he had for his wife.

\- When are you due? - she asked Sung Kyung as it was Hyo Seop's turn to walk around the room with the little baby in his arms. He looked so tiny with his big hands on his body, it made Sung Kyung crushing on her husband even more as she was looking at them. She loved seeing him happy and he was definitely over the moon lately.

\- Around.. March, I suppose. I'm only 7 weeks pregnant now. But what's more important now: How are you? I suppose you must be exhausted, although you don't look like it at all. 

\- You're a darling. Well I can't say I've never been more relaxed, but we love this little guy so much it's all worth it. And I wasn't being fair to Ray, he's a great help. Although he somehow always escapes diaper times. 

\- But you smell so nice right now, don't you? - Hyo Seop said, changing his voice as he lifted him a bit more and kissed the baby's tummy. - Why do all babies smell so good? - he turned to the others. That was it, his macho image was officially ruined for the day as he gave in to his nephew's charms.

\- Wait until you have to change diapers, then I'm sure you'll change your mind. - Hyo Won smirked. 

\- They're so cute I don't mind that either. - he smiled and kissed the baby's chubby cheeks again as he gave him back to Sung Kyung who was excited to hold him again. 

They stayed for lunch and then headed back to "the senior Ahns" where Hyo Seop's father took over the driver's seat after the young couple packed everything for the weekend getaway. Sung Kyung changed into her loose jumpsuit because the weather got quite hot over time. Hyo Seop noticed the bittersweet look on her face as she was looking at herself in the mirror before they left. 

\- Hm?

\- I'm gonna miss having my clothes fit me. - she looked at him. 

\- We'll get you new ones when the time comes. - Hyo Seop said, putting an arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. - I'm sure you'll look crazy sexy in them too. 

As always, she got sleepy from the AC again and fell asleep in the back of the car, resting her head on Hyo Seop's shoulder, who was caressing her hands gently in his while talking to his parents about how life was going back in South Korea. They asked them about his drama which was a huge success and his next projects. He was already booked for a new drama and was planning to finish shooting it by the time Sung Kyung enters her last trimester, but of course he didn't tell them that. Hyo Seop really wanted to be there for her, although Zoe already told him she'd help with anything they need. 

The sun already started setting by the time they got there, because the traffic was quite crazy that day. Sung Kyung woke up halfway, being amazed by how beautiful everything was around them as they were reaching the rocky craton. 

\- We seriously need to get back here more often. - she sighed when Hyo Seop stopped beside her. They were standing at the edge of the pier which had two Muskoka chairs facing the crystal clear lake.

\- Actually, I was just thinking the same. We should spend more time here when our schedules allow us. - he said and sat down in one of the chairs, signing for Sung Kyung to do the same. His parents were inside, taking a nap before the others would arrive. They decided to get dinner at one of the restaurants not far. It was supposed to be Hyo Seop's sister and boyfriend coming among with some family friends who were eager to meet Hyo Seop's lovely wife. 

\- It's so peaceful here, away from all the noise back at home. Must have been very nice to grow up in a country like this. When did your parents get this cottage?

\- I think I was about... Eleven, maybe? Gotta admit, I probably miss this place the most. See that big house behind the trees? - he asked, pointing to the other side of the lake. 

\- Hm.

\- That's Cindy Crawford's. At least it was when I was last here, I'm not sure if she still has it though. - he said as if it was the most ordinary thing on Earth.

\- Wait. You're kidding, right? Cindy Crawford?

\- Yeah. So as our neighbours here said. We've never met her though. 

\- I didn't know it was such a popular place. - she said, still in awe.

\- Well it's a nice place to hide away from the World.

\- We should definitely get our own place like this one then. - she sighed and leaned back on her chair, taking in the view the lake gave. It was one of the prettiest she'd seen; the setting sun painting the water in blue and orange colours and it was literally glittering as the water reflected the rays. The trees, the rocks and the peaceful atmosphere were just a big plus. 

\- We used to dive here almost every midnight whenever we were here. There was a time once when the lake was frozen. We spent Christmas here because our flight to Korea was cancelled and my friend's dad digged a hole in the ice. We went all in and Mom almost got a heart attack when she saw us. 

\- No wonder about that! Well one thing for sure, if this baby - she said, putting her hand on her tummy - is a boy, I'll never let him do that. Or our next one, because I have a feeling it's a girl. 

\- I kinda want it to be a girl. I hope she'll look just like you. Two Biblees in the house? Yes please! 

\- But you won't be disappointed if it's a boy after all, right?

\- No, of course not! Him or her, I don't really care as long as it's ours. And you're gonna be an amazing mom. 

Without saying anything, Sung Kyung leaned closer to kiss him. 


	8. What the future holds

Hyo Seop woke up to the slight movement in their bed as Sung Kyung got back under the blanket. With his eyes closed, he turned to his other side, put his hand on her stomach and planted a kiss on her neck that tickled her a bit, making her smile.

\- Good morning! - she whispered, caressing his hand with her fingertips. 

\- Morning sickness again? - he asked in a sweet, caring tone. 

\- It wasn't too bad this time. 

\- I wish I could help you somehow, you being the only one experiencing all the struggles of having a baby feels so unfair!

\- It's alright, babe, you can struggle with me once this little one's born. - she smiled. - Oh by the way. Did you ask Josh to look after the cats while we're gone? 

\- Oh shoot, I forgot to tell him Zoe could do that after all. I bet if both of them were feeding them until now, they're gonna be huge when we get back. 

\- Yeah. She called me last night when you were already sleeping. 

\- She did? What did she say?

\- That she thought he was a robber or something and was ready to fight him. 

\- Brave girl. - Hyo Seop laughed, imagining the scene in his head.

\- She's a Lee, after all. - Sung Kyung shrugged. - Oh and Josh asked her to tell you not to waste his precious time when it's not necessary. 

\- Alright, then it's one man less on the list of potential godfathers for this munchkin. - he said, sitting up in bed and so did his wife.

\- Are you already thinking about godfathers?

\- If I haven't told you this before, I'm excited, alright? - Hyo Seop said, putting an arm around her. 

\- You might have mentioned it a couple of times. - she smirked.

\- Oh yeah? - he tightened his embrace and kissed her.

\- BREAKFAST! - they heard Mrs Ahn's voice. So much for staying in bed late. 

The rest of the day went by quickly. After breakfast, where the main topic was their baby news of course, the whole family went into town where they visited the people's market. It was the perfect time for Sung Kyung to get presents for her sister and parents. She was looking around with her sister in law and Mrs Ahn while the men were mainly looking at the wooden stuff. After they decided what to cook for dinner, the women bought everything accordingly. Hyo Seop's mom made sure Sung Kyung was feeling healthy and she even gave her tips on how to cope with cravings coming later on and all the other less pleasant things that come with pregnancy. She told her how being pregnant with Hyo Seop was physically the most tiring out of all her pregnancies but he was such a peaceful baby they barely had any problem with him once he was born.

\- He was a good sleeper, I think we got the most sleep with him as a baby. He was so calm and quiet, I think he was the easiest one.

\- For some reason, I don't doubt that. - Sung Kyung smiled, looking at the men's direction on the other side of the road, at her husband. - I hope our little one will take after him then. 

\- I already feel bad for not being able to be there and help you whenever I can when the baby's born. I'm with Denise many times and I would want to be there for you too. - Mrs Ahn said with a guilty look on her face. For Sung Kyung, it was no question where Hyo Seop got his caring side from.

\- Don't worry about it, please. I'll have my mom and my sister. Besides, I have a feeling Paul will be a devoting dad and husband. He already is, actually. - she said and felt the butterflies in her stomach coming alive again just by thinking about how lucky she was with him. 

They had lunch at a nice restaurant there before they went back to the cottage. Sung Kyung took a quick shower, adjusted the curtains to make their bedroom a bit darker and scooped beside Hyo Seop, putting her arm around his waist and buried her head in his neck. With his eyes still closed, he planted a kiss on her forehead and fell back to sleep. Everyone was so full they all took a "quiet break" before the men would watch soccer on TV and the women started cooking dinner.

Hyo Seop woke up to Sung Kyung's kiss on his jawline. It was already late, everyone else was sleeping. He opened his eyes and saw her leaning over him in nothing but her bikinis. A simple one, yet she still looked absolutely amazing. 

\- What's this? - he sat up in bed. Even though he was deep in his sleep a minute ago, Hyo Seop was wide awake again. 

\- I just realized you couldn't go midnight diving with Ray this time. So I thought I could be a substitute if you take me. 

\- Oh babe, you're the best! - he said and got up quickly. Sung Kyung had a big smirk on her face as she was watching him change into his swimming trunks. His sister and her boyfriend left already because of work earlier that day, so they could only rely on each other for some fun after that. Careful not the wake up the "senior Mr and Mrs Ahn", they were basically walking on their tiptoes as they left for the back door. They walked down the pebbly path hand in hand, put their towels on the pier and dipped themselves in the water, which was actually warmer than they anticipated. 

\- Nice, isn't it? - Paul asked as he pulled her closer in his arms.

\- Hm. Very nice. I totally get why you loved going in here late at night. And oh, look at the stars! There's so many of them! - she looked up, but Hyo Seop refused to. She looked so beautiful as the moon and the stars lit her face in silver light he couldn't help staring at her and planted a soft kiss in the valley between her collarbone and neck. She looked at him and wrapped her arms around him as he was holding her by her thighs. - Do you remember our first date? Like... Official date? When we were watching the fireflies. The stars were just as beautiful then too. 

\- I remember how much I wanted to impress you then. I even came up with a fake star sign name. Can't remember what it was now. 

\- Balius planetaris. Or something like that. 

\- Oh you still remember? - he laughed. 

\- I was already whipped for you then, you didn't need to impress me anymore; I might not have shown it enough, but I paid great attention to most of the things you said.

\- I don't know if that's a good or bad thing though, I tend to say such nonsense most of the time. 

\- Well I won't argue with that. - she said, laughing and Hyo Seop kissed her. 

\- I'm glad it's only us here, we should've stayed in a hotel room instead. - he whispered, his thumbs caressing the skin on her hip bones as she crossed her legs around his body.

\- I know. And sometimes it's especially hard when your hormones are acting up. Especially now, with your wet hair. Damn, being this handsome should be illegal! - she said, running her fingers through his wet locks as she pushed them away from his face and kissed him again, this time going full in. She tightened her grip around him and he pressed his fingers a bit more into the skin of her thigh. Sung Kyung started kissing his neck just to push him away the next moment. - No, no, this won't be any good now, where's my self control?

\- I hope you left it in the house. - he smirked and pulled her back by her wrists. 

\- I mean it, Paul. We can do anything we want when we get back. Let's just... talk, okay? I'm not doing skinny dipping again.

He smirked as memories from the day he learned about their baby. What they were doing before that in the ocean was quite... Risky.

\- Talk about what?

\- I don't know. A story you've never told me before. 

Hyo Seop pulled her even closer and made her sit on his bent leg, supporting her by the back of her waist as he started telling old stories from his childhood. She laid her head on his chest, looking at the trees on the other side of the lake, listening to him. One story came after the other and she enjoyed all of them. Hyo Seop was never really the most talkative person and she felt very honored she was one of the few people he barely shut up around. He told her about the time he moved to Seoul to pursue his dreams and the struggles and insecurities he had before meeting her and the cast of the drama that was still the closest to his heart. He told them how estranged he felt from his college pals as the years went by and how much he often felt like he had to make up for that each time they met again. 

\- You're freezing, let's go back now. - Hyo Seop said when Sung Kyung got the chills as the wind started blowing. He got out first and helped her up on the pier, wrapping her in the towel.

\- I'm so happy you didn't give up on acting in the end. - she said when they got back in their room. They were already in bed, cuddling.

\- Me too. Although there were times I was thinking about moving back here and do something sensible.

\- Well, about that... I've been thinking lately. We still have some days to spend here in this country, yet I'm already sad just by thinking about having to leave soon. This place is so peaceful, no one disturbs us here.

\- Um, what are you implying exactly? 

\- I want to come here more often. I want our kids to be with your family more often later on. We could get something here, something that's ours, something we could call our second home whenever we want to break free from all the madness in Seoul. Not right now, of course. But maybe later. 

\- Do you really mean that? - he asked and turned on the lamp on his night stand to see her face.

\- Am I being too crazy? You can tell me if you think it's a horrible idea but lately I can't get it out of my head. 

\- It's not crazy at all. I just... Have never thought about it before.

\- Not once? - she looked at him surprised.

\- Well I guess it's mainly because I never thought you'd like it here that much to even consider something like this.

\- I know, I know. My English sucks. But you could help me with that. I'm sure that a hot teacher like you would motivate me.

\- You **are** serious. - Hyo Seop said, still having difficulties to believe what his wife was saying.

\- What do you say, Paul Ahn? Teach me English first and then we can get back to the Canada topic.

\- I say... I'm all in. - he smiled brightly and kissed her again.


	9. Craving

\- Ugh. Hello, John Lennon! - Jong Suk said when Hyo Seop opened the door for him. It was raining heavily outside in the cold, so his face was almost totally covered with the hoodie of his jacket.

\- Would you like to stay outside? - he snorted back.

\- I brought poutine! - he raised a bag, smirking and the food did the trick as always, because Hyo Seop opened the door wider.

\- You're forgiven for now. - he laughed and took the bag from him, taking it to the kitchen while Jong Suk took off his shoes and jacket. 

\- What do you have to be forgiven for? - Sung Kyung asked as she went out from the living room to greet her friend.

\- He criticized my hair. - Hyo Seop said with the sulkiest face ever.

\- Just look at him, he only needs those round glasses and he could join a Beatles tribute band!

Biblee looked at her husband and laughed.

\- You really need to get a haircut, babe! - she said. Hyo Seop would've been offended had she not cast him the nicest smile she had. How could he be angry at her when she's that cute? 

They all went into the kitchen where Hyo Seop took some plates out of the cupboard so they could all eat from the French-Canadian food Jong Suk brought them.

\- Bib, your baby bump is getting bigger now and you look amazing with it! How are you?

\- Well I don't have any photoshoots for a while now, we still want to keep this baby as much of a secret as possible. I only told my manager because this is something he needs to know, but for now, it only seems like I'm taking a break. Which I actually am. The one and only person I let taking pictures of me now is the hobo beside me. - she added, smirking as she elbowed Hyo Seop playfully.

\- I didn't know you as the photographer before. - Jong Suk said, digging into the cheesy-gravy fries.

\- I am when I have to be. - he smiled and looked at Sung Kyung.

_\- Do you know what we should do? - Sung Kyung asked. They were watching TV on the couch. She was lying there, with her head in Hyo Seop's lap as he was caressing her tummy that wasn't even round at all back then; sometime after they came back from their Canadian trip. That was when she tried poutine for the first time and despite the fact she wasn't a fan of unhealthy food, she really liked it. Maybe it was because she was pregnant and she was craving for it later on even more._

_\- What?_

_\- I've always loved these "growing baby bump" themed photoshoots, what if we did something like that too? Like one photo a week so we can see how it changed over time when our peanut is born._

_\- Do you really want to go to a photographer's studio for that? - he raised his eyebrows._

_\- Well we don't have to. I thought maybe you could take those photographs. - she turned a bit so she was lying on her back, looking at Hyo Seop._

_\- You know I'm not exactly as good as you are in these things. - he said._

_\- No, you'd do just fine! Don't you want to?_

_\- Sure! - he said and then suddenly, a smirk appeared on his face in the dim light. Sung Kyung already knew he was up to something. - I have a suggestion though._

_\- What? - she asked, sitting up on the couch._

_\- We should do one where you're in your lingerie on those photographs too. Just think about it, the progress could be shown most efficiently if you barely had anything on. Also, it would motivate me more to take your pictures. - he added, putting his hand on her upper thigh and slid his fingers under it, pressing his thumb into her skin a little bit more._

_\- Is this your way of bribing me? - she laughed, but was already feeling the butterflies in her stomach going wild. Hyo Seop leaned closer and kissed her bare shoulder softly. Then her neck._

_\- Maybe. - another kiss on her collarbone then on her chest just above her top. - Is it working?_

_His other hand was already on her hips, going under her loose top._

_\- We'll see. - she smirked and Hyo Seop kissed her, pulling up her shirt to feel the warmth of her body as he pressed his already naked torso to her. He laid her back on the couch and leaned over her when she made a hissing voice. He stopped immediately in what he was doing and looked at her with the exact same worried look she first saw on him back when they were shooting the second season of Doctor Romantic and he thought he hurt her wrist._

_\- Babe, are you alright? Oh my, did I push your tummy too hard by accident? - he asked, getting up from the couch. Sung Kyung raised her hips and put her hand under her back to show him the remote control she was lying on. - Oh, thank God! - he sighed in relief._

_\- You worry too much, Paul! - she laughed. - I'm not made out of candy. Now get back on me, mister! - Sung Kyung said, put her hand behind his neck and pulled him back, returning to what they were just doing a minute ago._

\- So is it a girl or a boy? - Jong Suk asked, bringing Hyo Seop back from his memories. They haven't told him yet because he was away shooting and it was not something Sung Kyung wanted to tell one of her best friends via text messages. 

\- What do you think? - she asked, putting her hand on her bump. 

\- Hm. A girl? It's a girl! - he said with a bright smile on his face when he saw how both of them smiled at each other. Now it was Sung Kyung's turn to get nostalgic.

_They were at her gynecologist's, watching the doctor as she put the cool gel on her tummy. She was lying there while Hyo Seop was sitting on the chair beside her, holding her hand as they waiting to see something on the screen._

_\- Oh my, is that... Is that our baby? - he asked, his eyes big as ever. Sung Kyung squeezed his hand a little stronger as she felt she was getting emotional already. She'd been crying a lot then, pregnancy definitely made her more sensitive._

_\- Congratulations, young parents; you're having a baby girl! - the doctor smiled and tears started rolling down Sung Kyung's cheeks as Hyo Seop planted a long, soft kiss on her forehead, then her lips._

_\- Our Peanut Butter! - he smiled, making Sung Kyung laugh as they were in the car on their way home. - I knew it's a girl! Can't wait to meet Biblee no.2! Should we do this week's photoshoot tonight? What say you? - he asked, staring at the ultrasound picture in his hands. Their photoshoots always ended up in heavy makeout sessions and more and he was absolutely in the mood for it that day._

\- Man, you'll be outnumbered by women then! Brace yourself for all the princess games you'll have to play with her. Are you ready for that? - Jong Suk asked.

Hyo Seop looked at Sung Kyung and then back at him. - Honestly, I can't wait!

His phone started ringing when he was standing in front of the big piles of paper tissue boxes, not sure which scent he should get. He couldn't be sure these days. The one calling was Sung Kyung again. Hyo Seop's wife was a bit even more sensitive lately and he didn't want to earn another bad point like he did when the toilet papers he bought were not soft enough. She was so frustrated with him she went into the guest room and stayed there for an hour, not letting her husband in. Or when he got her a nice blouse from the maternity section that was too small on her already. She got so upset he had to comfort her for hours, telling her he was sorry and that he should've paid more attention to the size. That only made things worse, so he kissed her as his last shot and that seemed to have done the job, because after that, she wasn't crying anymore.

\- Don't forget to buy pickles. - she said without even saying hello. They were on the phone earlier. He finished shooting for the day (thank God the director in his drama asked him to get a haircut too, so he lost his long curls already) and he went grocery shopping before going home . Sung Kyung was in her fifth month of pregnancy and he was more than pleased to see things go as he planned. Hyo Seop was supposed to finish shooting and everything that comes with it by Christmas, just in time Sung Kyung gets into her third trimester. 

\- I have them with me already. 

\- Oh great, you're the best. Thanks, babe! - he could hear her smiling through the phone. - Also, could you bring some cucumber-rose water if they have them there?

\- Sure. - he sighed and hung up. Great, now he had to go to the second floor too to get that thing for her, but by the time he already paid, Hyo Seop forgot what she wanted him to buy. Rose... Something. Was it rose water? Probably, that sounds like a girl-thing; his sister used to use them quite often while he was still living in Canada. He wondered why she didn't have it ordered to their home just like everything else when it comes to her skincare routine but he let it go; he had duties to be done.

Like a penguin in Africa, he was totally lost in the makeup section. He kept going in circles, looking for something that had rose on it when the assistant middle aged woman felt sorry for him and asked if she could help.

\- Yay! Thanks, hubby! - she smiled from ear to ear as Hyo Seop put the big bag on the counter in the kitchen. - Um... Didn't they have the water?

\- It's in there. - he sighed and left for the living room to sit down on the couch after a tiring day. The cats jumped up on him, purring already. 

\- Do you mean this one? - she asked as she came in, holding the rose water bottle in her hand.

\- Yeah. - he looked at her then back at the TV which he just turned on. Sung Kyung started laughing. - What? - he looked at her again.

\- Babe, I meant rose-cucumber water. Like... Something you can drink instead of spraying it onto your face. 

\- Oh, damn. I'm sorry babe. 

\- It's alright, that was cute. But I have everything I need in that department already. - she said and sat beside him, scooping closer as he put an arm around her. - How was your day?

\- I'm so exhausted. Do you know how much I wanted to come home all day long? To be honest, I wasn't feeling too well, I might be catching a cold or something. Maybe you shouldn't even come this close to me now either. - he said, but when he didn't hear Sung Kyung say anything, he had to add something to avoid another crying session. Just like last time. - I mean I don't want you to get sick too in case I am. 

\- Don't worry, I cried all my tears out earlier today when I was watching a sad movie. I won't get offended if you don't want to do anything tonight, I'll just be your perfect nurse then. - Sung Kyung said and got up to make a hot mug of chamomile tea for her husband.

That was a big relief to hear for Hyo Seop. Their well deserved Friday night almost turned into a disaster last week. 

_They were having their regular English lesson where he was trying to explain her the main differences between Past and Present Perfect tense. They'd been sitting at the table for a while then and Sung Kyung started to loose interest for that day, so she laid her head on his shoulder. Barely even taking notice of that, he went on with his examples when she planted a kiss on his arm, then on his broad shoulder. Leaning a bit back, the next kiss landed on his scapula._

_\- What are you doing exactly? - he asked her, turning his body to see her face._

_\- Nothing. - she whispered._

_\- Babe, let's study now, hm? - she didn't say anything and he took it as a sign of agreement, so he continued talking about English grammar. Halfway through his sentence, she started crying._

_\- Hey there! What's the matter, Clums? - he asked, having no clue what he must've done wrong that time._

_\- You don't find me desirable anymore, do you? - she asked, her tears pouring from her eyes._

_\- What? How did you come up with that nonsense now?_

_\- You never refused any opportunity to take me into our bed before and now you care more about Past Perfect tense than me? And we didn't even make love after our photoshoot last week. I know I don't look like I used to anymore but..._

_She was cut short by his lips pressed against hers. Before she could say something again, he kissed her even more, putting his hand on the back of her head, holding it in place while he deepened their kiss as his tongue finally found its way into her mouth. Wiping her tears with his thumbs, he kissed her one last time, sucking a bit more on her bottom lip before pulling away._

_\- There. Do I seem like I don't find you desirable anymore? - he asked, smiling warmly._

_\- I'm so sorry, Paul. I don't know when I'll get off this emotional roller-coaster, it must be so hard to handle me these days. - Sung Kyung said, being embarrassed for herself. - I was just... You're away most of the time and I always miss you, even when I'm with Zoe or Jian. Lately I just feel like I want to have as much of you as possible when you're here with me and it just hurts when you're too tired. Or when you give me English lessons instead! - she added, half joking, half serious._

_\- But you said you wanted to learn English. - he shook his head in disbelief._

_\- And I do. Just not when... Okay, you're right. I was just not really in the mood of studying today and it kinda felt like you rejected me just now._

_\- Reject? I... You.. Clums, you can say the stupidest things sometimes, you know that, right? I just wanted to go through everything I planned for us today, because I knew once we start kissing, there would be no studying after that. And let me tell you one thing I think you already know. Your perfect body was just a minor part why I fell in love with you. It's just a bonus that came with the Biblee-phenomena I love so much. And besides, you're still the most beautiful woman in the whole world. You're just as sexy and gorgeous in my eyes like you were when I first met you and you'll be the same fifty years later when I'm a soggy old man and you're still a queen. And you're carrying the best gift life could ever give me in your belly, how would that not be beautiful? In fact, I love your current look so much I can't wait to have a baby again after she's born. - he said, not even blinking while looking at her teary, hazel eyes. - Now I made you cry again. - he sighed and Biblee kissed him slowly. When she pulled away, he looked at her with questioning eyes._

_\- Have I told you how much I adore you? - she asked, both her hands on his face, caressing his cheeks she loved so much._

_\- You can show that to me in our bedroom. - he said in a low voice, got up from the table and lifted Sung Kyung up in his arms, holding her bridal style and carried her upstairs. Even with her growing baby bump, she was still so slender he had absolutely no difficulties taking his wife up in their room. When he laid her gently on bed and leaned above her, Sung Kyung kissed him, a bit more aggressive this time and he was quick to take up her pace. One hand in her hair and the other already unbuttoning her PJ's shirt, her naked upper body was totally exposed now and he couldn't get enough of it. Planting kisses on her chest (not being too harsh on her breasts this time because just like her, they were more sensitive lately), his mouth reached her belly and kept kissing it while his hands travelled down to push her PJ bottom off her and in no time he was also naked, ready to prove how desirable he actually found her; this time with her being on top._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way if you're interested to see the Lee parents' reaction when they told them the baby news, you'll see that in the next chapter :)


	10. Logs on the fire

_It was raining that night. The streets outside were slippery, because it was cold enough for them to freeze but not cold enough for the snow to stay. The ugliest weather for Christmas Eve in Sung Kyung's opinion. She was supposed to stay at her parents' house, but ever since the pandemics kicked in years ago, she never dared to meet her parents who were already in their sixties whenever she was sick and well, she felt she was catching a cold and thought it best to stay at home, alone. It had been almost a year since she broke up with Hyo Seop and the pain she felt by missing him terribly didn't easen by time at all. If anything, it only got worse, especially since it was Christmas. She remembered how truly happy she was exactly a year ago, when she fell asleep in his arms. How much fun they had back then! Even though she knew it would only make things worse, Sung Kyung went out to the hall and took the keyholding plate she got from Hyo Seop, her Paul, for last Christmas. With the pottery in her hands, she returned to the living room and sat on the couch, looking into infinity as she held it close to her chest. If only the industry would be just a little more accepting, the two of them would be still together. She knew it was for the best this way, Hyo Seop was a really talented person and he deserved all the success and sadly, she also knew she'd only be an obstacle in that. Tears started pouring from her eyes and before she realized, she was wheeping like a baby. Her sobs turned even more instense, up to the fact she could hardly breathe. Sung Kyung had never felt more alone than she did that night. Even though she still had her friends and her family with her, it was not the same anymore. She was sad, so sad it was much worse than how it was years ago after all the NJH things. You really do realize just how much you love someone after you loose them and she definitely loved him; so much she thought she'd never stop being sad about it. There were still times she wanted to call or text him whenever she saw something she knew he'd like, but always came to her senses before she'd do anything stupid. Her two cats came inside the room and sensing how blue their owner was feeling, they jumped up on the couch and started rubbing themselves to her, trying to cheer Sung Kyung up. But she was inconsolable._

_Trying to watch something funny on TV to divert her thoughts from him, she started watching National Lampoon's Vacation. It was a really funny movie but she ended up crying even more. Will she ever get to experience spending Christmas with her own little family? Will her parents ever get to see her children? These questions were killing her from the inside, so instead of watching the movie till the end, she turned the TV off and went into the kitchen to drink some tea; it was the inly thing that could warm her up during the cold nights now that Paul was gone._

Sung Kyung woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and got out of bed. Going down the stairs, she could hear her husband's pleasant voice humming a song and saw him dancing absent-mindedly in the kitchen as he was making omelette. Hyo Seop seemed to be in a very happy mood and it wasn't even seven in the morning. Smiling, she walked up to him and smacked his bum to make him notice he wasn't alone anymore. 

\- Hey there, wifey! Up already? - he asked, smiling from ear to ear. 

\- I just woke up. - she said and started pouring coffee into her favourite mug. 

\- Na ah, is it really a good idea? - Hyo Seop asked, putting his hand on hers, lowering the pot.

\- Come on, Mary Poppins, you know I mainly just drink milk with a little bit of caffeine in it these days. It won't kill me. Or the baby. - she added, smirking. 

\- Hm. Are you hungry?

\- YES! - she said, emphasizing the word as she sat down to the table. 

\- It was snowing a lot last night, did you see? - he asked as he put a plate in front of her. 

\- It was? - she asked excitedly, looking like a child who was just told Santa arrived last night. She got up immediately and went to the window. - I must have been still half asleep, how did I not notice that when I woke up?! 

\- So I thought maybe we could go somewhere nice today, maybe out of the city where the snow is mostly untouched. What do you say? 

\- Is that even a question? Yes please, I'd like that very much!

As Sung Kyung was getting dressed in the bedroom, she couldn't help being all giddy over what a caring and thoughtful husband she had. Christmas used to be her favourite holdiay and it turned into her own nightmare after they broke up years ago, because it always reminded her of how alone she felt without him around. When she told it to Hyo Seop some time after they got back together, he made it a mission for himself to make her forget about all those Christmas Eves she had to spend alone by making the remaining ones they had in their lives together the best as possible. 

She was almost in her seventh month in pregnancy and nothing fit her anymore, even Hyo Seop's T-shirts were a bit short on her in the front because of her baby bump. But since Zoe enjoyed looking for maternity wear, she had all the stylish clothes for her new body. Putting on a loose knitted green dress with wool tights, she looked extremely pretty with her hair let down; Hyo Seop didn't miss his chance to compliment her on that. 

\- And where are we going exactly? - she smiled at him, fastening her seat belt as he pulled out from their garage. 

\- So I've read somewhere that a Finnish guy bought an entire forest not too far from here and set it up to look like you're in Winter Wonderland. Being the Christmas fanatic you are, I thought it might be something fun for you. - he said, looking at her for a second to study her face. 

\- Winter Wonderland in our country? You're not joking, right? And why have I never heard about it before? 

\- It's quite new actually. Had I known about this last year, maybe I would've taken you there instead of skiing in Japan. 

\- But then you'd be a heart attack less. - she smirked, remembering how scared he was when she fell. To be fair, he had every reason for that, because she fell pretty badly and felt so embarrassed she didn't even want to get up at first. When Hyo Seop got there, he thought she lost her consciousness or something and felt relieved when she started laughing. 

\- Fair enough. Well, no adventures this year, young lady. - he said, taking her hand in his, raised it and planted a big kiss on her silk smooth skin.

They were driving for almost two hours and stopped midway when Sung Kyung needed to use the restroom. Meanwhile, Hyo Seop took his time to buy some snacks in case she needed them, along with a cup of black coffee for him and hot chocolate for her. She was never really a sweet tooth (although she definitely liked sweet things more than he did), but ever since she was pregnant and got tired of Hyo Seop's unapproving eyes whenever she drank coffee, she grew to like hot chocolate even more. 

\- Sorry, babe! One of the "perks" of being pregnant. - she said, making a quote sign with her fingers as she got back to the car where Hyo Seop was already waiting for her. 

\- I know. And believe me, I would take all these perks from you if I could. - he said, smiling as he handed her the cup after they sat back in the car. They were waiting there until they finished their drinks. 

\- You could really take this belly here. - she said, looking down and took another sip of her hot chocolate. 

\- But then you'd be jealous of me having direct contact with Beth. - Hyo Seop said, laughing and wiped the whipped cream off the tip of her nose. Even though she was carrying a baby, their baby, he sometimes felt like she was a baby herself too. 

\- I suppose you're ri... Wait a minute. Beth? - Sung Kyung asked, looking at him with questioning eyes. 

\- Don't you like this name? 

\- It's pretty. But why Beth?

\- I don't know. It's just something I've had in mind for a while now. And I don't know if I told you this already, but after we found out it's a girl, I knew I wanted to name her something that starts with B. For Biblee.

\- Aww, babe! - she said, smiling from ear to ear. - That's so sweet. But what if I wanted to name her something that starts with P?

\- We can come back to that when we have a boy too. The most important girls in my life all have a name that starts with the letter B and I wouldn't want to change that now.

\- Oh, right! - Sung Kyung shook her head as she remembered something. - That reminds me; I had the worst nightmare yesterday! Beth; let's keep this name, I really like the sound of it - she said, pronouncing it in Konglish that made her husband smile - turned out to be allergic to cats!

\- No way! - he exclaimed, shocked. 

\- Yes way! Just imagine! So we had to give our angels to Zoe and she gave us Gureumee in return. I'm not saying I wasn't happy to have her with us, but it was still horrible! What if one of our kids will be allergic to them? 

He leaned closer to plant a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled. - We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay? Finish your drink instead, we should get going now. 

There were quite a few people there when they got out of the car. Turned out they were waiting in the line for the reindeer sled ride, something they decided to take after they got back from their little walking trip in the forest. Hyo Seop took his backpack out of the trunk which had two thermos with hot tea in it.

\- There! - he said as he gave her her camera.

\- Did you sneak it in? - she asked, her eyes bright. - You're the best!

\- Put your hat on, it's quite cold here. - Hyo Seop said as he wrapped his scarf around his neck and Sung Kyung did as she was told.

Hand in hand, their faces almost completely covered, they followed the path. It was beautiful. The pine trees were covered in snow and the some of them had tiny ice beads on the tips of their needles which were glowing. With the little stone house and all the signs saying "North Pole" and "Santa in 100 meters", it truly felt magical and Sung Kyung didn't miss her chance to take photos of them. Of course, Hyo Seop started to regret bringing her camera as well after they had to stop for the fifth time to take some pictures. In return, he took some of her when she wasn't looking and they even took some selfies on his phone. 

\- We should bring her here next year. - Sung Kyung said, looking down at her belly. They were already on their way back to Seoul. - We must! It's beautiful. I'm so glad you found it. 

\- I'm pretty sure she would enjoy the reindeer sled ride!

\- I'm sure. But we should be careful to dress her in very warm clothes, I would've frozen if you weren't there. - she said, smiling at him. Fair enough, the weather was cold in itself and the fact they were going quite fast didn't help. Thank God her favourite Teddy bear was with her to warm her up. 

\- Anytime, Bib.

When they got home, it was already dark outside. While Sung Kyung went up to change into comfy clothes, Hyo Seop stayed in the living room to put some logs on the fire. All three cats were quick to sit down next in front of it, enjoying the heat and he couldn't help smiling when his wife did the same when she came back in her loose sweatpants and a huge jumper she stole from Paul with Norwegian pattern on it. She was practically a cat sometimes. 

\- Installing this fireplace was definitely a good idea, babe! - she complemented him, smiling as he sat beside her on the rug.

\- I knew you'd love it. I remember how much you were talking about the fireplace in my parents' house when we were first there.

\- Oh, right. My mom said she can't wait for this baby to be born and meet your parents again. Dad's so proud he still doesn't stop talking about it. To everyone. To anyone. He told the news even to the mail man!

\- Well he was very happy when we told them the news for sure. - Hyo Seop smiled as he remembered the day they invited them over after they got back from Canada. 

_He was a bit nervous back then. Even though he knew he was on good terms with his father in law, somehow he was still cautious enough not to say or do anything he might disapprove of. He remembered the day they first met; with Paul almost naked. And now they were going to tell him they're expecting their first child! Both of them dressed up nicely, they were waiting for them at the door when they arrived._

_\- Oh dear, how smart you two look. Is there an announcement you want to make? - Mr Lee asked and they looked at each other. Guilty!_

_\- Let them let us in first, dear! - Mrs Lee said, scolding her husband. - My dear, how lovely you look! You're glowing! - she said, hugging her first born daughter and whispered into her ear: - I see you **do** have an announcement to make, am I right? _

_Buffed, Sung Kyung looked at her husband. How the hell can they tell? Smiling, he shrugged and they followed their parents inside the house._

_\- Shall we go to the dining room? Lunch is ready. - Hyo Seop said, pulling out a chair for his mother in law as she sat down and helped Sung Kyung bring out all the food._

_\- You two are looking extremely suspoicious to me, what is going on? - Mr Lee asked, wrinkling his eyebrows at them. Sighing, his daughter and her husband looked at each other._

_\- We wanted to do this properly, but since you're not letting us... - she tried to say, looking at her mother now. - You're going to be grandparents!_

_\- Of course we are! - Mrs Lee said, smiling proudly. - Oh my dearest ones, I'm so happy for you two! - she got up and hugged them both. After Hyo Seop was released from her tight hug, he looked at Sung Kyung's father, who hadn't said a word yet. He was just looking at them and Hyo Seop couldn't read anything off his face._

_\- Dad? - Sung Kyung asked, getting worried a bit too._

_\- Are you sure this is not a prank? - he asked with a straight face._

_\- Um.. No, it's not. - she said, smiling awkwardly._

_\- Am I going to be a grandfather? My daughter's going to be a mama and **you're** the father? - he asked, pointing at Hyo Seop who gulped loudly. Before they could panic, a huge smile appeared on Mr Lee's face. - Finally! I'm so proud of you, kids! - he said, standing up to shake hands with Hyo Seop as he patted his shoulder a bit strong. - My beautiful girl, you're going to make a wonderful mother!_

_\- So you're not mad or anything? - she asked._

_\- Mad? How on Earth would I be mad? This little buddy there - Mr Lee pointed at Sung Kyung's non-existant baby bump - is going to have the most amazing parents in the world. And even more amazing grandparents of course, but that's no surprise. - he added, smirking and the others laughed. - You should've seen your face, pal, you got so pale! I'll never get bored of teasing you!_

_\- Oh, dad. - Sung Kyung said, shaking her head in disbelief as Hyo Seop laughed along with Mr Lee, although his was still not entirely honest. She had a feeling that her husband was still going to need a couple of hours to warm up each time they're under the same roof, even after years._

_\- So is it a boy or a girl? - he asked._

_\- We don't know yet._

_\- Well I hope it's a boy. Not saying I wouldn't like a granddaughter. But I hope it's a boy. I want to teach him how to fish!_

\- What's funnier is that ever since we told him it's a girl, he's literally over the moon. Although he's still determined to teach her how to fish. - Sung Kyung said, laughing as they were being nostalgic, already sitting on the couch. 

\- He can be quite the softy is he wants to. - Hyo Seop remarked. 

\- Yeah. Just like you. - she smiled and kissed him slow. 

\- How about watching a Christmas movie? - Hyo Seop asked, taking the remote control in his hand and turned the TV on. - Oh, look! National Lampoon's Vacation has just started. It's a really good one, I used to watch everytime it was on TV with my family.

\- I think I started watching it once... - she said, trying to remember when that was. - Oh, right. I couldn't finish it because I was too busy missing you. 

\- What do you say then? Should we turn that bad memory into a good one? - Hyo Seop asked, putting an arm around her and pulled her closer to give a big kiss on her head. He really wanted to banish all memories from those dark times.

\- Sure. Wait here, I'll get some hot chocolate!

\- Can you put a little rum in mine, please? - he asked, raising his voice a bit so she could hear him from the kitchen.

\- Here. Enjoy! - she said when she got back and handed him the hot mug as he pressed PLAY on the control. The cracking logs in the fire gave a pleasant background sound as they were watching the movie. It started snowing outiside again, but their living room was warm and inviting. Cuddled up together under the soft blanket, arms around her, stroking her with his fingertips, Sung Kyung felt extremely happy. Those lonely Christmas nights were long gone.


	11. Lessons learned

Hyo Seop woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs when his wife entered their bedroom with a tray in her hands. The moment he saw her, his eyes went wide and he got up in bed quickly.

\- Jesus, Clums! You shouldn't have brought it all up here! - he said, taking the tray from her as she got in bed beside him, under the blanket. 

\- Do I really have to tell you each time I carry something even a kid could lift? I'm not made out of candy. - she shook her head in disbelief, smiling.

\- Well you're sweet enough to me. - he smirked as he handed her the glass of orange juice. 

\- Honestly, Paul. If only Josh could hear how you talk sometimes, I'm sure he'd consider if he should keep being your friend. - Sung Kyung said, rolling her eyes for the second time that day and it hadn't even started yet. 

\- But you won't tell him, because we're allies, right? - he looked at her with the nicest smile she could never say no to.

\- I suppose so. - she smiled back and gave a peck on his lips. - You should probably get ready soon, they're expecting us to be there by lunchtime! 

\- What time is it now? - putting the tray on the night stand, he looked at her with puppy eyes as she got up.

\- Eight eleven. - she said and found herself back in bed, in her husband's arms as he pulled her down.

\- We have two hours until we leave, stay here now. - he said, scooping even closer to her as he turned to his side and put his hand on her belly. A little bit still half-asleep, he buried his head into her chest, closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent he loved so much. Sighing, Sung Kyung gave in and started caressing his head, playing with his locks around her fingers. 

\- The egg will cool down if you don't eat it. 

\- I'll finish it later, I'm not that hungry now. - he said and gave a kiss on her boob through the silk fabric of the PJ shirt she had on which was followed by more tiny kisses. - Well, not hungry for **that** , to be more precise. - Hyo Seop said and started unbuttoning her shirt slowly, starting from her round belly. 

\- Babe... - she said, putting her hand on his to stop him from what he was doing as she felt a bit uncomfortable. Her body's changed quite a lot over the last few weeks and she insisted on having dim lighting when they took the weekly photos. She knew that her changing body was a natural process and she also knew that her Paul wouldn't stop loving her just because she was a bit bigger, yet she still felt self-conscious about it, even though she knew it was all because of their growing baby and she knew she'd never swap. Still, Sung Kyung hasn't let him close for more than a month then and Hyo Seop, not trying to be too pushy, never once complained or asked why. Until now. 

\- Does it not feel good? - he asked, tilting his chin to look into her eyes. His eyes made Sung Kyung weak again as she saw nothing but love and concern in them. 

\- It's not that. It's the opposite actually... - she added, but before Hyo Seop could go back to exploring her body again, she stopped him once more. 

\- Then what is it? All this time, I thought it was all because you didn't feel like it.

\- You'll say I'm stupid. 

\- Probably. But would you tell me nonetheless? - he asked, pulling a lock of hair away from her face.

\- Sometimes I have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror. You look better than ever and when I look at myself, I feel weird. 

\- You're right, you **are** stupid. - he said, shaking his head in disbelief. 

\- I know. And I know I should embrace it and I do. Most of the times. I just don't feel like embracing it naked, when I'm with you. 

\- Clums...

\- I know. I remember when you said you still liked me this way and I love you for that, but sometimes it's hard to think of myself as someone sexy when I always feel like I'm bloating. - she said, looking away. Hyo Seop put his hand on her face and turned it back so she had to look at him again. 

\- Babe... I didn't just say that to make you feel better. I actually meant every word of it. I really do love your body now as much as I love it when you're in supermodel mode. Sometimes it turns me on even more and I don't know if it's because I have a weird fetish I didn't know of before or just the fact that you're carrying my baby in your body. Whichever it is, the point is... - he said and his hand travelled to her stomach again, this time starting to unbutton her shirt for real. - You are always beautiful and have never been more desirable in my eyes than you are lately.

Tiny goosebumps appeared on her skin as he planted a big, soft kiss on her neck, just under her jawline. 

\- I know you don't think the same about yourself, but will you just let me prove how wrong you are? Please. I really miss being intimate with you. - Hyo Seop whispered into her ear as he went on unbuttoning her shirt button by button and she didn't stop him when he reached the ones on her breasts. Instead, she kissed him and his tongue found its way through her lips, devouring her mouth in no time as the kiss deepened. His talented fingers finished unbuttoning the piece of clothing on her and Hyo Seop was quick to palm her left breast; gently, because he knew they were a bit more sensitive than normal. His wife's slight moans he kissed away turned him even more on and soon enough, he buried his face in her breasts bigger than they normally were. He slightly squeezed one of them and circled around her nipple with his thumb while he was licking the other, kissing it eagerly. It was all enough to easen Sung Kyung and her hormones acted up fast as she took off her shirt completely and Hyo Seop did the same just to go back to what he was doing. - You're so fucking sexy, babe! - he panted as his lips travelled down to her belly he gave kisses on, his hand already going under her shorts, teasing her south area, making her realize how much she missed being close to him this way too and felt even more thirsty for him when their eyes met as she was watching him licking her insides, going full in. He pulled away a little bit just until he got rid of his boxers when she told him to come up and he kissed her again, rubbing his manhood to her, making her even more turned on. Her back hurt a bit which he noticed at once, even before she'd say it and got off her.

\- Come up, babe! - he said and now it was Sung Kyung on top. He put his hands on her hips to hold her in place and she was pleased by the fact she still felt petite on him, even is her current state. She leaned down to kiss him again while he palmed her breasts as she rolled her hips, teasing him. - Do you believe me now? - he asked, whispering into her ear. 

\- Always. Now shut up and kiss me, love! - she panted and once again; he obeyed without hesitation. 

Hyo Seop looked at his watch one more time. It was almost ten thirty already, they should've left half an hour ago. The cottage was a two hours long drive away and in this weather, it was probably going to take longer. He knocked on the bathroom's door. 

\- Hurry up, Bib, we're already late! - he said and already regretted his words as they left his mouth. 

\- Don't you dare telling me that! - she said angrily as she opened the door and left to change her clothes. For the fourth time then. - It was you who wanted to have a second round. If it was up to me, I'd be ready now, so blame it on yourself! - she said annoyed and left him there. Sighing, Hyo Seop went downstairs, knowing there was no chance of winning this argument he was almost about to have with her and instead, he got in the car and pulled out of the garage to save time later. 

\- Here. - Sung Kyung said, handing him his thermos filled with hot tea. Hyo Seop wondered when she had time to make tea as well but thought it best not to ask, so he just took it and drank a bit before leaving the street. - Did you get the presents?

\- In the trunk. I hope they'll like it.

\- I'm sure. It's great and you're so thoughtful! - she said and put her hand on his shoulder. - And I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I just... Didn't like anything on me I put on and it annoyed me.

\- Did you learn nothing from this morning? - Hyo Seop asked. - Do you want me to teach you a lesson again? - he smirked.

\- Enough of this talk already, we're going to meet my parents! - she smacked him but couldn't erase the grin off her face. 

When they arrived, everyone was waiting for them and as they got out of the car, Sung Kyung realized there was no better place they could spend Christmas at. The snow covered pine trees looked almost as magical with the cottage as the Korean version of Winter Wonderland they visited the day before. After taking their boots and coats off, they went into the living room, where Mr Lee was sitting in the armchair. 

\- I see punctuality still isn't your strongest trait. - he said with a straight face and laughed when he saw his son in law's desperate face. - I'm kidding, son! But let's go eat now, I'm starving!

Zoe's phone gave a buzzing noise on the stand next to Sung Kyung and she handed it to her sister. She only saw it for a moment, so she couldn't be sure but she thought she saw Josh's name appearing with a text saying "Are the lovebirds there already?". Sung Kyung found it odd but not odd enough to ask about it, so she just let it go and followed the men into the dining room. 

After playing board games and talking all day long, they finally went up to their bedroom. 

\- It was really nice of your parents to book us a room for three days in that nice hotel. - Hyo Seop said as he took his jumper off. 

\- I think it was also for selfish reasons too. - Sung Kyung laughed. - They'll be watching over Beth, it will be like Heaven for them, just think about it. 

\- You're probably right. - he smiled.

\- Oh, shoot. Babe, would you bring my toiletry bag from the hall? I think I left it there and I really need to pee!

\- Sure. - he smiled and left the room. He decided to drink a glass of water while he was there when he heard Zoe talking on the phone outside. He didn't want to eavesdrop and even if he did, he couldn't hear the words properly, but he was quite sure she must have talked to a man because her voice was quite high pitched and he could hear her laughing as well. Was she seeing anyone? With his wife's bag in his hand, he went back upstairs, determined to ask her if she knew anything about it but forgot everything when he closed the door behind him and saw her standing in the room in nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. 

\- Wanna take a bath together? - she asked seductively. 

Without saying anything, Hyo Seop put her bag on the table, started peeling his clothes off and followed her into the bathroom, sitting in the tub behind her. He pulled her away from her neck and planted soft kisses on it and she closed her eyes as his breath on her neck woke up the butterflies in her stomach. She scooped a bit closer, pressing herself to his body as he cupped her breast with one hand while turning her head a bit with the other so that he could kiss her properly. 

\- This is such a lovely surprise, Bib! - he whispered into her ear. - I love all your curves, each part of your body is beautiful, I feel like I could kiss them everyday. - Sung Kyung turned a bit so she could look into his eyes again. - I'm so in love with you and I'm glad to see my lessons this morning **did** pay off eventually. - Hyo Seop added, looking at her the way every woman wants to be looked at by men. She tightened her fingers around his hand she was holding and gave a long kiss on his lips she liked to kiss so much.

\- Well, I tried. You were the perfect husband these past days and I really wanted to make it up to you. Well, you're the perfect husband each and every day, but you know what I mean. - she added, smiling. 

\- It's hard to be a good husband when you're the wife, babe! - Hyo Seop said and kissed her again.

\- What do you think Beth is going to be like? - she asked later, her head resting on Hyo Seop's chest, her fingers interwined with his on the bathtub edge. The water cooled down over time so they had to add some more hot water into it. 

\- Well first of all, I hope she has your eyes. 

\- Not in looks. - she laughed, patting his hand playfully. - I mean what she will have a passion for and such. 

\- Hm. I don't know. I'm sure she'll be a warm hearted person. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if she chose a career outside from the Korean media. But if she wants to do that, we'll support her of course. Or if she wants to be a lawyer. An engineer. A hairdresser. As long as she's happy, I'm happy too. 

\- You're gonna be such an amazing dad, Paul. I cannot wait to start raising Beth and her younger siblings if we have more babies. - she said, looking into his eyes lovingly and she meant every word of it. 

\- And you're gonna be such an amazing mom, Biblee. - he said, caressing her face with his thumb and planted a long, soft kiss on her lips. - I know that, because you're such an amazing woman.


	12. Hands

\- No, I didn't forget about the berries either. - Hyo Seop said, laughing as he was leaving the only convenience store which was still open after nine and had that special Swiss chocolate brand Sung Kyung craved. It was White Day, and he wanted her to have a really great one, but given the fact she was way into her ninth month, he couldn't really come up with the most exciting plans for her, so they stayed at home all day, cuddling and watching TV when she admitted absent-mindedly how much she wanted to eat that chocolate they had last week. Of course when Hyo Seop told her he'd go and get them right away, she protested, saying it wasn't necessary, but he was most insistent about it. "Come on babe, if this is one thing I could give to you on the day you should've been spoiled, I'll do it without even thinking about it twice"; he said and before Sung Kyung could hold him back, he was already getting his shoes in the hall. When he left, Sung Kyung just smiled, she's been spoiled ever since they were together. 

\- I think my water just broke. - her words hit him like a truck. Hyo Seop knew the baby was going to be born soon, yet it still came as a surprise to him. A good surprise of course. - Babe? - she asked, her voice uncertain. 

\- Yes! - he said, getting himself together. - I'm here! Oh my God, Clums, I'm coming! Fear not, I'm coming! - he said and hung up. With the bag of fruits and chocolates in his hands, he ran to his car and got in as fast as he could. Of course she had to go into labor just when he was away and of course that chocolate had to be a special one which none of the shops had in their neighbourhood!

Sung Kyung was shaking in her whole body as she put the phone back on the couch. No matter how ready she thought she was for everything that was waiting for her before, she now felt like someone on her way to execution. Some women had quite easy child-births, some had the worsts. Even though Paul and everyone else told her not to read any stories about it, she couldn't help it on some days and now all the worst scenarios gotten into her head. What if the baby was sick? What if she got paralyzed? What if the baby can't survive? What if **she** can't survive? Even though her obstetrician was one of the bests in Korea, Sung Kyung didn't know what to expect; all she knew was that she was terrified. And still alone, because Hyo Seop was still not back. Why did he have to be so damn nice every single time?! He's been there for her all the way through pregnancy, yet he was away just when she needed him the most. What a timing! Biblee looked on the carpet, more precisely the watery stain on it; they'll have to do something with that. Everything was black outside, Sung Kyung felt like she was in a nightmare. She took her phone in her hand again to check the time; it's been ten minutes since they hung up. Where was Paul?

\- Are you fucking kidding me?! - he cursed to himself and punched the steering wheel in frustration. He got stuck in traffic; aparently three cars crashed somewhere and there was no going back, the traffic jam was huge, even though it was past 10 pm. And it all happened just when he was a few blocks away from their home! His phone started ringing again. - Babe, I'm...

\- Where are you?! - she asked and he could hear she was on the edge of hysteria. 

\- I got stuck in tra... Hang in there, I'm on my way, I'm on my way! - he said and pulled over when the line in front of him moved about five meters. He got out of his car, closed it and started running, leaving everything there except for his most important belongings: wallet with his documents in it, keys and phone. The weather was quite cold these days and he only had the warm jumper on he got from Sung Kyung last month, but that was the last thing he cared about as he was running as fast as he could on his way home. 

A loud scream was heard in the house and all the cats went inside the kitchen to see what happened. Sung Kyung was leaning on the counter, her hand on her belly, crying in pain and desperation. She's never been as scared as she was that night. As her contractions got worse, she was just about to call the ambulance when the front door opened and Hyo Seop came in, bangs glued on his sweaty forehead, his face red from running without stopping for even one moment. 

\- Paul! - she looked at her. Tears started pouring from her eyes even more by the mere fact she saw him. Sung Kyung wasn't alone anymore. 

\- Oh, thank God! - he sighed in relief and ran to her to support his wife as she leaned on him after he hung the bag of clothes on his shoulder, prepared for exactly this situation. That bag's been there for almost a month as Mrs Lee told them to, because babies usually never come punctually and she needed change clothes once in hospital. Hyo Seop grabbed the keys of Sung Kyung's car from the keyholder he made her back in 2020 for Christmas. - I'm here, my love, I'm here. I won't leave you alone for one moment. 

He made her sit on the backseat and he was quick to get behind the steering wheel as well and they left in no time. Sung Kyung was so out if it she didn't even notice his car was missing. Hyo Seop tried his best not to be too nervous; the last thing they needed was them getting into an accident on their way to the hospital. - Dr Nam's already there waiting, I called him. Everything will be alright. - he said, trying to calm her down as she was panting on the seat behind him. Just like many times before during her pregnancy, he once again felt useless and when she screamed in pain again, it got worse. Hyo Seop was going crazy seeing the person he loved the most in such pain and he couldn't do anything about it. 

\- Come on, baby! - he said, encouraging her when she was already in there, squeezing his hand as tight as she never did before. He tried his best not to get carried away. Sung Kyung had it much worse, he'd never seen her in such pain, besides, it was **him** who asked her to be there when their baby is born.

_It was pouring rain outside. Sung Kyung woke up to one of the loud thunders. She turned around and saw her husband sleeping beside her, totally unbothered by the storm, his lips slightly parted which made him even more adorable to her. She sat up quietly and tried to get out of bed as quietly as she could, which was definitely not something easy, considering the fact she just entered her ninth month in pregnancy and her belly was huge now, especially compared to other parts of her body; her limbs stayed slim as ever; she was just one of those people who always stayed slender, no matter what._

_But it was Valentine's Day, so she needed to make something delicious for breakfast as the first act in making Hyo Seop's day a happy one. But before she could start making frittata, the cats needed to be fed first._

_She put the plate and the cup of coffee on a tray and lifted it up, about to go back to their bedroom when Hyo Seop appeared at the door, his hands crossed around his chest, leaning on the door's frame and shook his head in disbelief._

_\- Don't even think about bringing that up! - he smirked._

_\- Morning, babe! - she smiled at him and put the tray back on the counter._

_\- What's this for? - he asked, stepping closer and hugged his wife from behind._

_\- Happy Valentine's Day! - she said, turning her head a bit to kiss him on the lips._

_\- Oh right. I always forget. - he laughed. - Smells delicious! - he added when they sat down to eat._

_\- So I wanted you to have a great time today. I've planned the whole day a week ago._

_\- You shouldn't have. You carrying our baby is more than enough already, you didn't have to bother this year at all, I don't really care about these things anyway._

_\- Of course. You say that all the time and then end up being the best partner on White Day. Na uh, I'm quite competitive you know._

_\- Okay. - he laughed and started eating the breakfast she made. She seemed so excited he didn't have the heart to tell her that the only thing he wanted to do that day was staying indoors and cuddle with her. Other people would've probably not handle this long break he was taking so well, but he throroughly enjoyed it. Hyo Seop always preferred staying at home, and the fact he was staying at home **with** Sung Kyung made it even better for him. - Hm. This is so good by the way! - he said, munching on the eggs._

_\- Thanks. So. Where was I again? Right! So I planned tne whole day for you but then I realized maybe the best day for you would be to do everything you want to do. So here you go! - she smiled and gave him an envelope. - This is your gift. And now, you can start thinking about what you wanna do today._

_\- You're the best Clu... - he said and then his eyes went wide the moment he opened the light blue envelope in his hand. - You ARE the best! - he said with the brightest smile on his face. There were two plane tickets in it and two tickets which had dolphins on them. - Is this... What I think this is? - he asked and she nodded proudly. - We're gonna swim with wild dolphins in Japan?_

_\- Yes. - she smiled. - It's in Mikurajima Island. I should've taken you there years ago but I'll do it now. I mean in August. - she added, pointing out the date of the tickets._

_\- You're the best wife ever! - he said, pulling her in for a kiss as he cupped her cheeks._

_\- So what do you want to do now? Staying in or going out?_

_\- Well I would love to finish the book I started reading yesterday, so... And it's raining outside. - he added, justifying himself._

_\- I knew you'd say that! - she laughed._

_\- Sorry babe, you married a total introvert. - he shrugged._

_\- Thank God I did! - Sung Kyung smiled, grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for another kiss._

_\- Babe? - she asked, looking up at him. She was lying on bed, resting her head on Hyo Seop's thigh as they were listening to the sound of rain outside. Well she did anyway after she got bored of the book she was holding in her hands, but he seemed to be lost in the one he was reading. Something about psychology and human relationships. **"A typical book Paul would read";** she thought._

_\- Hm? he asked, not even taking his eyes off the page._

_\- I changed my mind. I **do** want you to be there with me. When Beth is born. _

_That was enough for Hyo Seop to put that book away and now he paid full attention to his wife. Could this day get any better?!_

_\- Are you sure? - he asked with a bright smile on his face. Last time he asked her if he could be in there during labor, she said no without hesitation. Sung Kyung seemed to be so sure he never once brought it up again and he couldn't be happier that she changed her mind._

_\- Hm. You're the person I love and trust in the most. I want you to be there and hold my hand. I mean if you're sure you can do it. Many men pass out, you know. - she added, smirking._

_\- Woo Jin hopefully trained me well. - he laughed, leaned down and kissed her lips, his hand caressing her belly. - And I want to be there for Beth right from the moment she's born._

As the baby's cry was heard loud in the room, both of them started crying. Sung Kyung was in relief and Hyo Seop in happiness. He became a father, something he was looking forward to ever since Biblee said yes to him back in Switzerland. 

\- Baby out, 1:32 am. - the obstetrician said and cut the cord.

\- March 15th. I'll remember this date forever. You did so well, my love! - he said, still holding her hand and planted a huge kiss on her head, wetting her hair a bit with his tears of joy. 

After they cleaned the baby and wrapped her in a blanket, they gave her to the new parents. 

\- She looks so tiny. - Sung Kyung said on a cracked voice, still trying to fight her tears as happiness started to take over relief after a few minutes she was given to them.

\- She looks perfect. She's absolutely perfect. - he whispered, caressing the baby's head with his thumb. - You two made me the happiest man alive today, you know that, right? - he asked and kissed her cheek. 

\- I'm sorry for yelling at you back in the car. - she smiled. - I'm so glad you were with me, Paul!

Hyo Seop leaned closer to kiss her on the lips when the baby hiccupped, which was the cutest sound to both of her parents. 

\- Hello there, little girl! - she said in a sweet voice, tapping her tiny nose and the baby smiled with her eyes closed. - You should probably call the others now. - Sung Kyung turned her face to look into his eyes again.

\- Just one more minute, please, I want to be with my family first before they take her. - he said, looking at the nurse who was already waiting for them to give Beth back so she could take her away. 

One week later, on the 22th of March, a new post appeared on @heybiblee's feed with her hands and Beth's foot on it, followed by @imhyoseop's pictures with the caption: "Hands.". 

Those pictures flooded the internet in a jiffy; everyone was talking about how none of them even suspected she was pregnant and their posts became their most liked ones in just a couple of days. 

"So those photoshoots happened at least months before! We were so tricked!"

"That's why we didn't see them attend any events, I thought they were just taking a break"

"All our suspicions were correct then! Thank God, I'm so happy for them!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, my lovely readers! I would just like to say to those who don't follow me on Twitter that from now on, I'll be a bit busier with my thesis, but I'll try to upload this story each week by Fridays if I can : )  
> Hope you liked this chapter and take care!


	13. I ask for snuggles but all I get are struggles

A painful and rather loud cry was heard in the Ahns' home. It was way past midnight, the sun was about to rise soon. Hyo Seop turned to his stomach, pressing his pillow on his head. 

\- Beth, no, please! - he murmured desperately. Being a father was harder than he thought, but not less fun. That little girl meant the world to him now and he usually had no problem with waking up for her at dawn, but that night, he was just way too tired. 

\- I'll go to her now. - he heard his wife's voice and felt the mattress move a bit as she sat up.

\- No. You barely got any sleep since we brought her home, just stay. - he said, his eyes still half closed.

\- Maybe she's hungry, I'll go.

\- Didn't you just feed her before putting her in the crib?

\- Oh, right. - she sighed, rubbing her eyes.

\- Go back to sleep, baby, I'll take care of her. - he said and planted a soft kiss on her forehead after she lied back on bed. 

They turned the room on the other side of the hallway into a girl's bedroom. The walls were white, so were the furnitures in it and everything else was either light pink or yellow, including the yellow carpet. Hyo Seop walked to the crib without turning the lights on, the phosphorescent little butterflies and flowers just above it were enough for him to find his way to her. Also, she was crying so loud everyone would have found their way to her. 

\- Hey there, my little girl! - he said on his calming, deep voice and lifted her up in his arms, rocking her gently. - I'm here now, okay? 

That seemed to have worked, because after a minute in his daddy's arms, she wasn't crying anymore. He gently patted her head that was smaller than his hand and started walking around the room with her, feeling his little daughter's breaths on his neck. Still holding her head, he smelled her again which he did quite often, babies just smelled so good, especially theirs!

After rocking her a bit again, she finally fell back to sleep and Hyo Seop carefully put her back into her crib, caressing her chubby cheeks softly with his fingertips and stared at her for a little while. Yes, waking up to calm her wasn't easy but it was always worth it in the end; he had another big love in his life now. 

Sung Kyung woke up when he went back to bed, under the blanket they shared. She turned to her side and scooped closer to him as he stretched an arm under her head and wrapped her in his arms, putting a kiss on her forehead. 

\- Thanks, love! - she hummed and went back to sleep, so did Hyo Seop.

Sung Kyung woke up next morning, her husband's arm still around her. He looked so peaceful she did her best not to wake him up while getting out of bed. It was still quite early, only seven in the morning and she put a kettle on to make some refreshing green tea. Knowing the house would soon be loud again, she took her time alone, put on her jacket and boots (it was still quite cold for a morning in late March) and went outside, letting the cats out as well and all three gladly followed her as she closed the front door behind her. With the hot mug in her hands, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Yes, it was indeed quite chilly, so she just went to the backyard to put some more seeds in the bird feeder Hyo Seop once made with Josh when she asked him. 

When Sung Kyung went back inside, Beth started crying upstairs, so she was quick to take off her jacket and boots and was with her in a minute. The room definitely looked best before noon, since its windows faced East and the sunshine lit everything perfectly, giving a warm and nice atmoshpehere.

\- Hey there, Elizabeth! - she said in her kindest voice, lifting her up from her crib and held her close to her chest, patting her bottom gently. - Uh oh, I think someone's in a great need of diaper change! Of course your daddy is somehow always away these times but never misses out on a chance to bathe you. - she said, still on a cute voice as she opened the cupboard and took a cloth from it she laid Beth on. 

\- There, you smell so nice now, my dearest one. - Sung Kyung said, smiling as she took her daughter's tiny feet in her hands and gave a kiss on each of them. Beth was already wearing new diapers and a new baby dress with a pink dolphin on it. Hyo Seop got that one before she was born. She remembered how happy he was when he came home, showing her his new purchase he got at the mall when he was shopping for Sung Kyung back in January. The little baby raised her arms above her head and giggled as her feet were ticklish to her mother's kisses. - Someone's cheerful today, hm? Are you ticklish? Does it tickle you? - she asked, giggling with her baby as she gave several kisses on her body and Beth laughed, moving her chubby arms up and down. She didn't notice, but Hyo Seop was already looking at them for a while then. He was standing at the door, leaning non the frame with an absent-minded smile. He knew how lucky he was to have his own beautiful little family as he watched Sung Kyung playing with their daughter whose giggles were the most pleasant sound to his ears ever since she was born. The man was definitely in love. With Biblee and Beth as well. - Do you think daddy's awake already? - she asked as she lifted her in her arms and held her close. - Oh, he is! - she said when she turned around and saw Hyo Seop smiling at her. - Just missed changing your diaper, what a shame! - she said sarcastically as she stopped beside him, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

\- I just woke up, okay?

\- Right. But you know your family is arriving next week, right? You boasted Ray you'll change diapers, but I bet you don't even know how to do it. Am I right? - she asked, laughing when Hyo Seop's face gave him away. 

\- Will you show me?

\- Sure, honey! - she smiled. - Oh, by the way. Is Ray really not bothered you didn't ask him to be the godfather?

\- No. Roy's godparents are Ray's and Denise's friends. We all promised each other we'd only ask them to be godparents to our kids if there will be twins, so none of us gets offended why they weren't asked first. 

\- That's... A bit odd. But I'll take it.

\- Well, it's an Ahn thing, you should get used to it since you're also one now. - he smirked and went back to the bedroom to change into his jogging clothes. In the mornings, he usually went for a run while Biblee fed Beth in peace. 

\- Oh God, Beth! - he said, turning his face away when he opened the diaper as Sung Kyung showed him. - How can a little thing like you make such a mess? 

His wife tried to suppress a smile but failed; watching her husband struggling with changing diapers was definitely entertaining. 

\- Oh, so you're laughing at me now! - he said, offended as he looked at Sung Kyung. - I promise to wake up for her every single time at night if I don't have to change these again. 

\- Come on now, Paul. It's not even that bad. 

\- You're right, you're right. I made stitches on a raw fish, I can do this one as well. - he said, breathing out slowly and threw the dirty diaper in the trash can. 

Beth was finally sleeping after around noon and Sung Kyung let out a relieved sigh as she put her in her crib. When she went downstairs, she could hear her husband being lively in the kitchen so she went in and saw him making food. 

\- Is she sleeping already? - he asked, barely turning his head to look at her.

\- Yeah. I think the cats' purring sound soothes her.

\- Wait, were they in there? In her room? - he looked at her, concerned. 

\- Don't worry, they didn't touch her. - she laughed.

\- Isn't it bad for babies to be around animals?

\- Darling, relax. - Sung Kyung sighed, patting his shoulder. - They're stronger than they look and I asked people about it, all of them said it's okay. 

\- Alrighty then. - he sighed in relief. - Sit, lunch is almost ready. - he ordered and his wife did as she was told. Hyo Seop's phone started ringing on the table, just when he sat down too. It was his manager. Sighing, he picked it up. In that same moment, Sung Kyung heard Beth crying again upstairs so she got up to go to her bedroom. So much for having lunch in peace.

\- Babe? - he asked quietly as he opened the door in Beth's room. She was holding their baby in her arms, rocking her slowly, humming a sweet tune for her and Hyo Seop couldn't help admiring them. His girls! - How is she? - he whispered as he went closer and put his hand on Sung Kyung's back, caressing it gently as he looked at his baby daughter who was looking at him with eyes wide open. - Hi there, leprechaun! - he smiled at her, caressing her cheeks gently with his index finger. 

\- Leprechaun? - Sung Kyung asked, smirking as she turned her head to see his face.

\- Well she's tiny and cute. She's our lucky charm. 

\- That's cute. - she smiled and kissed his lips. - Well our lucky charm could really fall asleep now, I'm starving!

\- Do you want me to take over?

\- No. Just stay. - she said quietly and smiled. No matter how much he tried to avoid diapers, Hyo Seop has been nothing but a thoughtful husband and dad so far. She wasn't surprised though. Whenever she heard other mothers complaining about how little their husbands do in parenting, she always knew Paul would be different; he always made sure she was okay. Even before they started dating and things just got better with time. 

\- Can I hold her now?

\- Oh yes, that would be nice. Honestly, being a parent to babies is a much more effective workout than anything else. I'll have the strongest arms by the time she grows up. Oh, no! - she said, her voice shaking as realization hit her. 

\- What? What's wrong? - he looked at her, concerned as he took the baby from her in his arms. Beth definitely looked good there.

\- What's gonna happen when she does grow up? Time flies so fast, I want her to stay a baby as long as possible. 

\- That's still a long time from now. - he smirked.

\- Yeah, you're saying that now, but what are you gonna do when she'll be having boyfriends?

\- Boyfriends?! - he looked at her, his eyes wide. - I think we can ditch that topic for another eighteen years coming, thank you very much. 

\- Eighteen? You're funny.

\- Can we just... Drop this subject? - he asked, starting to feel a bit uneasy. - She's our baby girl, let her stay that for a couple of years more, okay?

\- Okay, babe! - she said, still grinning. Fathers and their daughters. - Oh by the way, what did she want? - Sung Kyung asked, referring to his manager. 

\- A photoshoot. And an interview, I suppose they're gonna ask about you and Beth as well.

\- When?

\- Next week. 

\- When your family's here? Didn't you tell them it's not the best time?

\- It won't take long.

\- Well, you know best, love! Oh look! She's dozing off!

The following days went by quickly but not less tiring. Beth sometimes gave them a hard time but at the end of the day, they both agreed that none of them would ever swap; she was perfect. Even with the constant crying, sleep deprivation and the fact they barely had time for themselves.

Hyo Seop was just on the phone with Josh when he went upstairs. It was already past eight, everything was dark outside. He didn't hear any screaming, so either Beth was sleeping or Biblee was with her, so he went to check up on them. Her room's door was open and he could see his wife sitting on the armchair facing the window, the floor lamp being the only source of light as she was breastfeeding her daughter. Hyo Seop stopped on the doorstep and just watched them, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. It was the most natural and beautiful thing in his eyes and he didn't want to disturb them. It was so intimate, he finally understood why Mother's Day is so important. They are connected with their children on another level, and the bond is strongest in the nine months the babies are in their bellies and even after they're born, they still aren't completely detached while they're feeding them. And his wife, the love of Hyo Seop's life was a mother herself now and he felt like he never loved her more than he did lately. Still not wanting to disturb them, he just listened as she was talking to Beth about everything; their cats and how they were their official reason to keep interacting with each other in the earlier days, how she hoped the weather would get better soon and the story of how Beth was born. Sung Kyung giggled when she told her the part how Hyo Seop's car was towed after leaving it in a place he shouldn't have

\- This is how much your daddy cares about us. - he heard her say on a sweet tone and he couldn't help smiling at that. Hyo Seop didn't even realize his car was gone for a few days after that incident, he was so out of the world in happiness.

\- Done, she's sleeping now. - Sung Kyung said, sighing as she got on bed beside him later. He was reading a book and put it on the stand as she scooped closer to rest her head on his chest. 

\- Tired? - he asked, caressing her back gently with his fingertips.

\- Exhausted! 

\- You're doing an amazing job, babe! - he said, planting a kiss on her hair.

\- You're not too bad yourself either. - she smirked.

\- I wonder. Is it normal to feel kinda jealous of my daughter? She gets to be much more in contact with your breasts than I do. 

His sneaky words made her longing for him even more. Sung Kyung sat up to look into his eyes and then at his plump lips she loved to kiss so much. And so she did. - Four more weeks, babe. Four more weeks.

\- Yeah, if we ever have the time for that. - he sighed, half laughing. 

\- We could ask their soon-to-be godparents to practice before the baptizing. We could get a room for a couple of hours. - she said and kissed him again to which Hyo Seop responded more passionately, pushing her gently to lie on her back, his hand travelled to her waist and then...

\- Oh God! I've never wished time to pass this fast before! - he said, sighing as he stopped. - There's just something in you that makes you incredibly desirable these days.

\- I miss you too, babe! - she pouted and rested her head on his left arm he stretched out and Hyo Seop pulled her a bit closer to hold her tight. - I love you!

\- Love you too, Clums! - he said and put his other hand on her head, caressing her hair with his thumb as he inhaled her scent. It was so peaceful just lying there with her and they were so exhausted none of them realized they fell asleep. 

\- Beth, no! Please! - Sung Kyung wined, almost crying as they woke up to their baby's cries. 

\- Stay! - Hyo Seop said and got out of bed. He came back after a couple of minutes, just to hear her cry again the moment he closed his eyes beside Sung Kyung. The same ritual was repeated a couple of times more. It was already half past three when he got up one last time.

\- Wait! - Sung Kyung said, getting out of bed and followed him. - Take her crib, she'll sleep in our room. - she ordered as she lifted the baby up in her arms, rocking her. 

\- Are you sure that's a good idea? The lady said it's best if she sleeps in her own room. 

\- I don't care! Besides, me and Zoe used to sleep in the same room with our parents for quite long, Mom told me. I think she just cries because she doesn't want to be alone. Move this thing, please! 

\- Alright then. - Hyo Seop sighed and did as his wife said. - I'll take her over now. - he said once the crib was in their bedroom, under the window. 

\- I hope it will work. - she said and went back to back. Listening to the sound of her husband humming sweet melodies to their daughter relaxed her and she was soon back to sleep again. When silence took over, she felt Hyo Seop getting in bed beside her and he wrapped his arm around her waist, being the big spoon. - Do you hear that? - she whispered. Beth was slumbering peacefully.

\- Hm. - he said, already half asleep as he buried his face in her neck and soon enough, all three of them were sleeping peacefully.


	14. What's going on with Zoe?

\- Zoe? - Sung Kyung knocked on the door. - Listen, are you okay? - she asked. Everyone else was either in the living room or outside smoking. She saw her rushing to the bathroom, on the edge of crying.

\- Yeah, I'm fine. - she said, but Sung Kyung could hear her voice was cracking. 

\- Can I come in?

\- There's really no need, I'm fine. 

\- Alright. But if you want to talk, I'm here. - she sighed. Something was clearly not fine and she had no idea what it was. 

But since they were the hosts on Beth's baptizing party, she needed to deal with all the guests. It was a beautiful day in early May, absolutely perfect to hold an event as special as the baptizing of their first born. Everyone was there. Well not everyone, but the ones who mattered the most. All the grandparents, Hyo Seop's siblings, friends, Mrs Kim; everyone. 

\- My dearest one, have you seen your father? - Mrs Ahn asked Sung Kyung as she went to the kitchen to drink some water. 

\- I think I last saw him talking to Jong Suk outside. - Why?

\- I just wanted to ask him something about your lovely mom, but now that you're here, I think you can help me as well. 

\- Yes? Go on! - she smiled.

\- I know it's her birthday next month and we'd really like to get her something nice, we just don't know what exactly. 

\- Oh that's so nice of you! Well first of all don't even think of buying her something big because she'd feel uncomfortable by that. Mom really prefers nice words to actual presents, I think she'd cherish a nice postcard more than a vase. 

\- Nice words. I'll keep that in mind, thanks, dear! - Mrs Ahn said, patting Sung Kyung's arm. - You know, we were talking about watching over Beth tomorrow. I suppose you're exhausted by now and you two really need a good rest!

\- Do we look that horrible? - she laughed, joking.

\- No, of course not, you're both gorgeous. But I remember how tired I was when mines were born. And how tired Denise still is. There's no shame in taking a day off and we'd really love to spend some time with our little Beth.

\- Do you really mean that? - Sung Kyung asked, smiling. They still haven't been able to... be intimate. It's been one and a half month already, the six weeks her doctors were talking about already passed. But whenever they could even get into the smallest things, Beth would always start crying. Or they were both too tired to do anything. - Well then, thank you!

\- Great! Because we've booked you a nice room. We've already given presents to Beth, but just know we haven't forgotten about you two either. 

Sung Kyung thanked her again and smirked as she went outside. Paul is sure going to be thrilled. 

\- Hey babe? Where's Josh? - she asked when she finally found her husband. He just got back from the gate after saying goodbye to some people leaving. 

\- Left about an hour ago. Why?

\- Oh, never mind then, a friend of mine was looking for him. But why did he leave so soon?

\- He sad he was tired. - Hyo Seop shrugged.

\- Yeah, I suppose flirting with all the single ladies here can be exhausting, huh?

\- S'pose so. Funny enough, I don't seem to recall him bragging about his newest conquers lately, I thought maybe something serious was on the horizon.

\- Babe. It's Josh we're talking about. - Sung Kyung laughed and patted his arm. - He's an amazing, amazing friend, but not exactly boyfriend material, is he?

\- You do realize you're talking about my best friend, right?

\- I do. - she said, put her hands on his chest and kissed his lips. - But I'm just stating facts. Thank God he hasn't laid his eyes on Zoe now that she's been single for a while now.

\- Yet. - he said, smirking as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

\- Sweet Lord save us from that please. 

\- Speaking of Zoe, where is she?

\- Beth's room, watching over her. She doesn't seem to be in a good mood now, I told her she could replace mom.

\- So techniqally you asked a woman on the edge of crying to be in the same room with a baby who might cry in any moment without a warning?

\- Okay, now that you say so, it doesn't seem that good of an idea. I'll go and check up on her again. - she said and went inside the house.

\- Should I call you Clums from now on too? - Sung Kyung asked as she got up from bed to go into the bathroom, where Hyo Seop was struggling to get tie off.

\- Come up with an original one, please, Clums is already taken by you. - he smirked.

\- I seriously don't get how you cut your thumb this much. - she shook her head in disbelief and stopped in front him, untying his tie. 

\- I wasn't paying attention, okay? - he laughed.

\- Does it hurt bad?

\- Well, a little. - he shrugged and Sung Kyung took his hand in hers and gave a kiss on his cut.

\- Is it better now?

\- A bit.

\- Now? - she asked, giving another soft kiss on his thumb. 

\- I'll make sure to give my proper thanks to my parents for our day off tomorrow! - he said as he felt hotter by his wife's seductive glare.

\- Yeah, it's really nice of them. - she said on a low voice, unbuttoning his shirt and helped him out of it, brushing his chest with her fingertips. Hyo Seop put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. Sung Kyung weaved her fingers behind his neck and looked into his eyes. - Do you know it's May the 6th tomorrow?

\- What's on May the 6th? - he asked, wrinkling his eyebrows.

\- You always forget! Woo Jin and Eun Jae's birthday! - she said, pouting. 

\- Oh right! Sorry, you know I'm lame at dates and I didn't know you still kept track of our characters' birthdays.

\- Yeah I do. - she smirked and kissed his lips.

\- But I feel like May might also be important because of something else. 

\- Yeah? What?

\- I'm not sure. - he looked away, trying to remember and Sung Kyung did the same. Then at the same moment, both of them realized and said it out loud at once: "OUR WEDDING!"

\- Oh babe, how could we forget about that? - she asked, laughing. 

\- I feel so bad right now. I should really buy myself a new brain now. 

\- Can I join you? - she asked, still laughing and looked behind her back, at her daughter's crib. - I guess we can blame it all on Beth?

\- Don't, my baby didn't do anything wrong, okay? - he asked, being all protective of his baby girl.

\- I can see it now she's gonna be such a daddy's girl. 

\- What's wrong with that?

\- Nothing. Nothing, babe, I totally get it. I'm a daddy's girl too. - she asked, looking at him in a way he was always weak for. He pulled her even closer and kissed her again, more passionately this time. His hands travelled to the zipper of her pants, but before he could do anything, Beth started crying in their bedroom. - Tomorrow, Paul. Tomorrow. 

\- And we can celebrate our anniversary properly. - he said and looked back at her as he went outside to lift Beth in his arms and started walking around with her in the room, humming some sweet tunes to her. 

\- Can't wait. - Sung Kyung sighed and closed the door to take a shower after such a long day. 

J: Just so that you know, what you did today was unfair in every aspect. 

Z: Well then I hope you found consolance in all the other women.

J: Isn't this what you wanted?

Z: Yes!!!!

Z: I thought I did. 

J: Zoe?

Z: ?

J: I'm coming over.

\- Don't you feel a little bad about leaving Beth there? - Sung Kyung asked as they entered their hotel room.

\- She's with my parents, Beth is gonna be fine. - Hyo Seop said after he put the bags down and stepped closer to her. - Let me help you get your mind off her a little bit. - he said a low voice and kissed her slowly, putting his hands on her waist and pushed her gently to the wall. Sung Kyung ran her fingers through his thick hair and his grip on her tightened. It felt like eternity to him since he could last devour her lips the way he did now and he couldn't get enough of it. The moment she became the mother of his child, Hyo Seop found her more desirable day by day, there was just something in her that made her glow and the way she loved Beth made him fall for her even harder. As he deepened their kiss, Sung Kyung's fingers went under his tee, scratching the skin of his back gently and his lips wandered to her neck, then to her earlobe, biting on it gently which only made her weak in the knees. Her slight panting in his ears turned him on even more and his hands were quick to go under her shirt, taking it off in a moment and he took off his tee as well. With her hands on his face again, Sung Kyung kissed his lips again. - You're so beautiful my love! - he whispered into her ears, cupping her breasts through her bra and his kisses travelled down to her neck to her collarbone down to her chest. Before he could take the bra off her, he was suddenly stopped.

\- Wait. - she said, pushing him a bit with her hands on his chest. Hyo Seop looked at her concerned.

\- What? 

\- It's... Only the morning. 

\- Yeah, so? - he asked, already kissing her neck again but she pushed him away. - What's going on, Biblee?

\- I... - she stepped away, clasping her bra back and looked down on her feet. 

\- Tell me. - he said, stepping closer again and took her hand in his. - Babe?

\- I can't do this just yet. - she said, clearly embarrassed. 

\- Why? You don't want to? - he asked with such puppy eyes Sung Kyung was already on the edge of crying.

\- Of course I do. But look at you! - she said and Hyo Seop looked down his body. 

\- What's wrong with it?

\- Nothing, and that's just it! You look perfect with your chiselled chest and abs and I just gave birth. It's been only a week since I started exercising again, can we wait a little until I feel better about my body? Please?

\- Bib... - he sighed and sat on the bed, pulling her gently to sit on his lap and held her with one hand on her thigh, caressing it and the other on her hips. - I thought we were over these. You're beautiful. Pregnant or not, postpartum or after months of exercise. What else should I do for you to understand?

\- I know you mean that. And I love you for that, I really do, but...

\- But what?

\- Maybe you don't have any problem seeing me this way but I do. I'm sorry, I can't help it. And I know I'm horrible, you've been amazing these past months and I feel even worse about it. I'm so sorry, I just care too much about my looks and I... - she stopped because she knew if she went on, she'd cry. 

Sung Kyung tried to push back these thoughts to the back of her mind in the past couple of weeks, in fact she didn't really have much time to think about things like these because they were always busy with other things. But now that they were there, she realized how insecure she became about her body. 

\- Babe. - he said and tilted up her face with his thumb on her chin. To Hyo Seop, there was nothing to be insecure about; everyone could see that even when she was nine months pregnant, she was still gorgeous and there was nothing not sexy about her body. - Babe? That's okay. - he said and planted a long, soft kiss on her cheek. - Don't feel bad about it please. If you don't feel comfortable yet, then we'll wait. You know I'm good at waiting, right? Just keep in mind that this body of yours carried our child for nine months and gave life to her. What's not beautiful about it? - he asked, brushing her hair away from her face gently. 

\- I know, but...

\- But.. I know you don't feel condifent yet and I don't want you to feel pressured, even a bit. You're my wife, we don't need to do anything you don't want to, okay? - he asked on a sweet voice, making sure she didn't feel bad.

Without saying anything at first, Sung Kyung just kissed him. This man was truly amazing; he was the most considerate and loving person and she fell in love with him even more every single time he said things like this. Paul put his hand on her face and caressed her cheek softly with his thumb.

\- I thought it still hurt. - Sung Kyung said, smirking after pulling away from their kiss. 

\- It still does. - he shrugged and she kissed his thumb softly. - Stop looking at me like that, it's torture now! - Hyo Seop laughed and lied back on the bed, with his legs hanging off and Sung Kyung did the same, resting her head on his chest. They were lying there like that for long minutes; even **that** was something they could barely do ever since the love of their lives was born. 

\- There's something going on with Zoe. - she said after a while. 

\- Oh? - he asked, opening his eyes; he was slowly dozing off. 

\- I'm not sure. She's acting so secretive lately.

\- Maybe she has a new boyfriend.

\- I don't think that's the case, she was never like that before whenever she was dating someone. 

\- Did you try talking to her about it?

\- I did, but she said there was nothing wrong. Hope it's not because she doesn't want to bother me, you know how she's like.

\- Do you want me to talk to her? - he asked. Hyo Seop and Zoe became quite the allies over the past year; he even met Zoe's ex boyfriend before Biblee did.

\- Would you? Maybe she'd feel more comfortable talking to you now.

\- I'll go to her tomorrow, okay? - he asked and planted a big kiss on her hair. - Babe? 

\- Hm?

\- Do you wanna go somewhere?

\- Where?

\- Anywhere you want. I've read somewhere that there's a grandious exhibition about fashion in all parts of the world, from the beginning of mankind up to this day. Thought maybe you'd be interested in it. 

\- Would **you** be interested in it? - she asked, raising her head up to look into his eyes.

\- I think it could be fun. - he shrugged. 

\- I'll watch *football with you then when we get back. - she smiled.

\- Well in this case, get dressed then! - he said, getting up from bed.

Hyo Seop rang the doorbell at Sung Kyung's old house where Zoe was living now. Biblee was at home with Beth and the Ahn grandparents; he left after lunch to talk to his sister in law. Their day off yesterday was perfect. It felt like their early dating phase, except they could go out in public this time, because they didn't have to hide anymore, not like five years ago when no one even guessed they were together. How secretive they were back then; some people thought they weren't even on good terms. It's been a while since they were last out together and the exhibition was the perfect place to go to; it was very refreshing to visit a museum again, something they both enjoyed very much. And how long it's been since they last went to a restaurant! When they got back to their hotel after five, Sung Kyung kept her promise and watched the Bayern München - Liverpool football match with him, although she didn't know much about it, so just like in the early days, Hyo Seop explained her what each rule meant and she was genuinely interested to learn about them. And the most important thing for Ahn Hyo Seop: they made love at night. And it was Sung Kyung who initiated it. And it was perfect. Absolutely perfect; he knew he missed being intimate with her but now that he could feel her perfect body again under his and taste her, Hyo Seop realized just how terribly he missed his wife this way. 

\- Paul! - Zoe said, clearly surprised when she opened the door and saw her brother in law. - What are you doing here?

\- Can I come in? - he smiled.

\- Well... Of course, yeah. Come in! - she said on a high pitched voice. - Actually I was just about to go out you know... - she added. There was something in her that made Hyo Seop understand what Sung Kyung was talking about. 

\- In your PJs? - he asked, smirking as he looked down on her shorts and loose tee.

\- Zoe, did you see my pants? - a voice dangerously familiar to him said and Hyo Seop saw his best friend coming down the stairs in nothing but his boxers. - Oh oh. - he said, looking down at his feet. Hyo Seop's eyes widened and Zoe buried her face in her hands. 

\- Josh? What are you doing here? - Paul asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest with his eyebrows furrowed. **_"Please, have some reasonable explanation for this!"_** ; he prayed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *soccer


	15. Busted

The atmosphere has never been as awkward as it was that day. They were all sitting in the kitchen, with Hyo Seop on one side of the table while Zoe and Josh were sitting at the other, not even daring to look at either each other or the tall Canadian who weaved his fingers on the table with a facial expression that made him look like a strict dad about to scold his children who did something wrong. 

\- So? Are you going to tell me what's going on between you two? - he asked, looking first at Josh who just looked down as if there was something very interesting in his lap and then Zoe, who sighed. 

\- Alright, don't be mad, but...

\- Out of all the women out there, did you really have to choose my sister in law? - he sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.

\- No, it wasn't like that... - Zoe tried to defend him. 

\- So how was it like? - Paul asked, wrinkling his eyebrows with a knowing look as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and laid back on the chair.

\- It all started when you two were in Canada. - Josh finally spoke up. - When she almost killed me, thinking I was a burglar.

\- Go on... - Paul looked at him severely and they started telling him everything. 

_Starting with that night they both went to the Ahn house to feed the cats and open the windows for a bit to get some fresh air inside. Zoe was just watching TV (her favourite show was on) when she heard some strange noise coming from the front door. Given the fact it was already dark outside, she rushed out to the kitchen to get something in her hands that made her feel somewhat secured. Taking a frying pan with her, she quietly went closer to the door and hid behind the wall. When Josh entered the house and walked closer, without thinking about it twice, Zoe smashed the frying pan the moment she stepped forward, hitting the bottle of champagne that broke into a million pieces in Josh's hand. Having good reflexes, he raised it in front of his head before it hit him. **"Rather the bottle than my head"** ; he thought. _

_The moment Zoe realized who it was, she started panicking. - Oh my God, Josh! I'm so sorry, I thought you were a... Your hand is bleeding! - she gasped as she noticed his hand covered in blood._

_\- You, Lee sisters are really quite feisty aren't you? - he asked, shaking his head in disbelief as he followed her to the kitchen._

_\- I'm ever so sorry, Josh! I truly am. - she said, still feeling embarrassed as she finished doing the bandage on his hand. Josh put his other hand on hers and looked at her with his usual womanizer smile._

_\- That's okay, I guess I really can't complain now that I have such a pretty nurse can I?_

_Blushing, Zoe looked away. He really was a womanizer, just like Biblee's said so many times! Just like her sister, Zoe liked diverting the topic too when she felt akward. - What are you even doing here?! They gave te keys to ME. - she said, emphasizing the last word._

_\- Na ah, missy! Paul gave his_ keys to ME!

_\- What?_

_\- Yeah. So next time you should consult with them before killing me, okay?_

_\- But they both said I should look after the house and the cats. - she said, starting to feel bad again._

_\- I really don't get how he can be so smart when he's so dumb sometimes. - Josh sighed, shaking his head and Zoe laughed at his comment._

_\- He really does have his weird moments, doesn't he?_

\- Maybe you should've left out the part when you called me dumb. - Hyo Seop gritted through his teeth as they got so lost in telling him their story. 

\- Yes, sorry about it. - Zoe said apologetically. - So the point is, we opened up a bottle of wine in your fridge and starting talking. 

\- Please don't say you guys did it in our house!

\- Of course not! - Zoe protested. 

\- Nothing happened except for meeting and talking for months, I promise. I knew she was off limits. - Josh said firmly.

\- And so she is! Then what are you guys doing now? You know Biblee's going to kill you when she finds out, right?

\- That's why we tried to call it quits. 

\- So then why didn't you?

Josh told him everything briefly. How he stopped even thinking about going to bars just to pick up women there and how much he preferred talking to Zoe on the phone instead and cheering on her silently at the theatre whenever she performed. He told Hyo Seop how he realized how much he liked her and how one night they had a little too much to drink and then one thing led to another and...

\- Please don't go into details.

\- The thing is, we realized how cliche and uncomfortable it would be for you if your best friend started dating your sister in law and we both agreed we should stop seeing each other so often. - Zoe said, looking at Hyo Seop and then Josh.

\- Well **you** did, anyway. - Josh said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

\- That was two weeks ago. - Zoe looked at Hyo Seop again, ignoring Josh's remark.

\- But then she couldn't resist my charms I guess. - Josh said, changing his voice as if he was mocking someone and Zoe smiled weakly.

She remembered how he knocked on her door yesterday and how they both came to the conclusion they can't stay away from each other, not after everything that's happened in the past few months.

\- And now we're here.

For a brief minute, Paul didn't say anything. Everything just made sense all of a sudden. Zoe being so secretive lately, Josh not telling any of his conquerer stories for the past months, the way they (Zoe and Josh) barely said anything to each other whenever they were in the same room. That's exactly what him and Biblee did back when they were dating in secret. 

\- Paul? - Josh looked at him, concerned.

\- I suppose I really shouldn't be the one telling you what to do. When I in fact **married** a Lee girl.

\- What are you saying now?

\- I'm saying I can't tell you what to do, you're adults.

\- Thanks for saying that, you know I'm actually older than you don't you? - Zoe asked, smirking.

\- Don't pull his strings now. - Josh whispered. - So what are you trying to say now? - he looked back at his best friends. 

\- It's your life.

\- So you won't tell it to Biblee then? - Zoe asked.

\- She's gonna kill me if she finds out I knew about you two and didn't tell her. But she's got enough on her plate now with Beth. 

\- Oh Paul, please don't tell her, not yet! 

\- I won't tell. **You** should. Once you're sure about it.

\- Are you okay, Paul? - Sung Kyung asked as she got under the blanket and scooped closer to rest her head on his bare shoulder. - You've been quiet ever since you came back. - she said, caressing his chest with her fingertips as he planted a soft kiss on her hair. Beth was slumbering peacefully in her crib under the window. Everything was quiet and calm, except for the thoughts running on Hyo Seop's mind. 

\- Yeah, why? - he asked, trying to sound cool. He was never really a good liar. It's been only a couple of hours since he had this secret he had to keep from his wife and he was already struggling with it. 

\- You know you can tell me if Zoe isn't feeling as good as you said she was, just because you don't want to burden me. Please do, I'm your wife. And her sister, it's my job to worry. 

Hyo Seop smirked. If only she knew what was going on... But he couldn't tell her, so he just said Zoe was feeling a little blue on the party because she realized how much she wants to have her own family one day. But the moment he saw how sorry Sung Kyung was feeling for her sister, he added that she's fine now, yesterday was just too emotional for Zoe.

\- I suppose I was just tired today. You tired me out well yesterday, you know. - he said, diverting the topic and pinched into her bum playfully. 

\- Oi, mister. I thought you were tired. 

\- I'm never tired when it's you, baby. - he whispered into her ear and put his hand on her cheek, pulling her head closer gently to kiss her. 

\- Hm. - she sighed. Hyo Seop felt she got a bit stiff.

\- What is it? - he asked quietly.

\- Maybe you're not tired, but I am. I don't even know why, our parents have been a great help all day. 

\- Do you wanna sleep now? - he asked, took his phone in his hand and looked at the screen. It was only nine thirty then. Sung Kyung shook her head. - Music? - he asked, smirking as he intertwined his fingers with hers. She nodded and he started playing one of his playlists on his phone. They stayed like that for hours without any of them falling asleep, talking about the songs or the stories they reminded them of. The slight noise Beth's steady breaths made was ever so soothing to them and Sung Kyung felt like she could stay like that forever. In Paul's arms, her face buried in his huge palm as he was caressing her hair and back gently, with their daughter sleeping beside them. That's what happiness is for her.

When Hyo Seop woke up in the empty bed next morning, he was surprised to see Beth was still sleeping. He got up and walked to her crib. For about five minutes, he was just staring at her. How perfect she looked with her teeny tiny fingers and those chubby cheeks! Even though his wife said Beth resembled him more, Hyo Seop was certain he was looking at the mini version of Sung Kyung whenever he looked at Beth. He gently caressed her cheeks with his thumb and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her head before going down where something definitely smelled good. When he went to the kitchen, he saw Sung Kyung cooking. He remembered how he realized he wanted to wake up to her making breakfast for the rest of his life back when they've only been dating for a while in secret. If he only knew he was gonna marry this woman and have a baby with her, he would've laughed in disbelief.

\- Hey there, wifey! - he said, giving her a backhug and planted a kiss on her neck that tickled her. 

\- Hey! Beth still sleeping?

\- Hm. Miracles **can** happen. - he smirked. 

\- What time do you have to leave for the shooting? - she asked as she rolled the eggs in the pan one more time.

\- Ten...ish. Will you manage by yourself today?

\- Sure. And Jong Suk said he'd drop in, he wants to have quality time with Beth because he "was denied access by the others at the baptizing party". - she said, making quote signs with her fingers and Hyo Seop laughed. 

\- Damn, he's so whipped isn't he?

\- Yeah. I feel a little guilty for not asking him to be the godfather. 

\- But Zoe's your sister. He can be the godfather of our next one, okay? - he asked, smiling.

\- You know if you said it on the day she was born, I probably would've punched you in the face. - Sung Kyung laughed as she remembered how she was determined never to give birth ever again then. Well, things change fast and all the pain was forgiven because their baby daughter was the most perfect thing she ever had. - But I suppose Beth would need playmates soon and I don't want her to be an only child. Besides, Dad is eager to have a grandson you know. 

\- Is he? Hm, I haven't noticed. - he laughed. Fair enough, Mr Lee was more than obvious about how much he wished they'd have a son too. - If you're saying that we should try making babies again soon, I'm all in! - Hyo Seop said with a huge grin on his face as he set the table.

After breakfast, he went to the bathroom to get ready and when he got out of the shower and brushed his teeth, he opened the door of Beth's room where Sung Kyung was feeding her. He was wearing simple jeans and a white tee. - I'm off now. - he smiled.

\- When will you be back?

\- Not sure. Around five or six maybe? Seven at latest, I'll call you.

\- I'll make dinner for you then. And when you get back, we can start planning our 3 days long getaway. You know, my parents booked...

\- Us a room in a spa hotel. I know. How could I forget such a thoughtful gift? - he smirked and closed the door behind him after he left. Indeed he couldn't wait to get away for a little bit and relive their honeymoon phase once again.


	16. Re-honeymoon

\- Beth is gonna be fine, my love. - Hyo Seop smiled warmly as he wrapped his free arm around her neck to pull her closer for a kiss on her hair. They just left Seoul and ever since they said goodbye to their baby and the elder Lees, Sung Kyung's been a bit glum for leaving Beth there for the long weekend. It was the first time she was away from her for more than 24 hours. - Better than fine, actually. She's with your parents, I'm sure they're gonna spoil her so bad she'll forget she even has parents to miss. 

\- Well thanks for giving me another thing to worry about! - Sung Kyung rolled her eyes as she straightened herself back on the seat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. - What if she's having so much fun with them they'll make us look like bad parents? Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. They're the best at parenting. 

\- Then we could still make new babies if Beth decides to leave us. What do you say, Clums? Shall we make use of this little getaway? - Hyo Seop smirked and got a punch in his arm as a response from his wife. - You're really getting stronger everytime you hit me! - he said, rubbing his arm with his left hand while the other was still on the steering wheel. 

\- I gave birth to a watermelon sized baby, remember? I'm invincible now. - Sung Kyung boasted with a smug look on her face as she looked out of the window.

\- Alright, *Shwarzie! Instead of showing off, you could decide where we should stop for lunch.

\- Something spicy!!! - she said, emphasizing the last word. She had to cut spicy food off due to breastfeeding Beth but now that they were away, she wanted make up for the long break from eating them. - Hold on, let me check what we have here... - Sung Kyung said and took her phone out of her bag. - Here's one: Arriba Taqueira! Fancy something Mexican, babe? It's an hour drive, but we'd still stay on this road.

Hyo Seop smiled. All it took was mentioning food and his wife returned to her sweet and energetic self from being grumpy. Even though she was a mother now, to him, sometimes she was still like a baby. Except when it was him feeling down and needed to be taken care of by her.

On their way to the Mexican restaurant, they were singing along to all the songs played on his phone. Of course, Sung Kyung came up with the carpool karaoke, something she used to do with her sister, Zoe only before she met him.

\- Um, Paul? - she asked after a while, looking at him in a shy way. He knew she was going to ask something she wasn't sure he'd say yes to. 

\- Hm?

\- Would you sing with me?

\- I think I just did now. - Hyo Seop smirked. 

\- Not like this! 

\- What do you mean then?

\- It's been ages since I last updated my YouTube channel and I thought it would be a perfect comeback if I uploaded a video of us singing something. Like we did with Your Day, remember?

\- Oh no. Do you really want me to fall in love with you even more? - he asked, referring to his confession he once made, saying that those rehearsals made him fall for her a bit more back then. - I'm not sure it's possible though.

\- Alright, I won't say how cheezy that was if you say yes. Please? - she asked, giving him the eyes he could never say no to.

_"@nuneobish on Twittter: Never thought I'd meet my ultimate OTP while eating Mexican today. #ourshipissailingstrong #blessed"_

\- How is your burrito? - Hyo Seop asked, trying to hold back his laugh as he watched his wife getting teary eyed from the extra jalapenos she asked them to put in her food. They were sitting by the window, with some cacti on both their sides. The restaurant looked lovely and the girl who asked them for a picture was so sweet they both enjoyed talking to her a bit. Both in English and a little bit of Korean. 

\- It's so... - she tried to say but a cough interrupted her. - Good. 

\- Yeah, I can see that. It's so good that it made you too emotional, hence the tears in your eyes! - he smirked, wiping a drop of tear off her chin.

\- Oh shut up! - she said, rolling her eyes. 

\- Wanna swap? - Hyo Seop asked, already giving her his sweet chili taco.

When they finished eating, they noticed the girl from before sitting just next to the door. She was texting someone on her phone. Biblee stopped and poked her shoulder, so she looked up. 

\- Enjoy your stay in Korea! - Hyo Seop said in English and opened the door for his wife before they left the building.

It was past three when they arrived. Their room was big, pretty and luminous, everything they needed in a hotel. Hyo Seop checked out all the channels on the television there while Sung Kyung unpacked everything from their suitcase. They decided to try out the spa section downstairs as soon as they can, but things changed when he saw her in her bathrobe.

\- Okay, we can go now. - she smiled. 

\- No we can't! - he smirked, standing up from the armchair and walked closer to her. - Changed my mind, the spa can wait. I, on the other hand, cannot. 

As he said those words on a seductively low voice, he pulled the belt slowly and untied the robe, exposing her body wearing nothing but a red bathing suit that complemented her figure. She unconsciously put her arms in front of her body to cover herself, but Hyo Seop gently grabbed both her wrists and pulled them down. 

\- You're absolutely stunning, babe! - he whispered and kissed her lips, putting his hands on her waist as their kiss deepened and pulled her closer. No matter how many times he kissed her, Hyo Seop felt like he could never get enough of the taste of those lips and the scent of her skin as he ran his fingers down to her hips and then up again to untie the suit. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him harder, he completely freed her upper body, exposing her breasts he loved so much and palmed them both, his breathing getting heavier.

\- Then I guess the spa will have to wait. - she smirked, giving in totally and let her lust take over as he lifted her in his arms and laid her on the bed, his lips never leaving hers. Hyo Seop was already shirtless, so her hands got free access to the skin on his muscular back she dig her nails into a bit as his kisses were now on her neck and earlobe, his hot breaths giving her goosebumps in a way no one else did before. 

\- Do you know what we should sing? - Sung Kyung asked, raising her head from his shoulder. They were sitting in a jacuzzi, enjoying the small bubbles hitting their body. 

\- Hm? 

\- You know the song "Can't Help Falling in Love", right?

\- Seriously? Isn't that a bit too cheezy? - he asked, wrinkling his eyebrows.

\- It's funny you'd say such thing! - she mocked him and elbowed his side. - Just think about it! We could ask the others to help us with the song and record it, I think we could really sing it well together! I can already see us singing it, please! 

\- You know you can't win anytime you're giving me these eyes, don't you? - he asked, looking down at her as she scooped closer to him. 

\- Please! I'll make it up to you somehow!

\- Hm. I can think of a few things you could do in return... - he winked. Sung Kyung rolled her eyes again for the nth time that day and splashed some water at him.

\- Elvis it is, then! - he gave in and pulled her back to kiss her lips.

They spent the rest of the day getting relaxing couples massages, eating amazing food and making love in their room several times that night, just like the other days they spent there. Even though they (well mostly Sung Kyung) decided to go on a hike the next day, they ended up staying in bed, watching TV, reading a book or just simply enjoying married life instead. It felt like heaven. It **was** heaven. Hyo Seop just came back from the bathroom when he heard his wife talking on the phone with her mom. They were on video chat.

\- Yeah, he's here. - she said, showing the camera at him and he laid down next to her in bed. 

\- Hi! This place is amazing, thank you so much again! - he said, smiling at his mother in law through the screen.

\- Not at all, not at all. If this is what it takes for us to spend some days with her, we'll do it again. - Mrs Lee smiled.

\- How is she by the way? - Sung Kyung asked, being the worried new mom she was.

\- She's with your dad right now. Wait a minute, I'll find them. - she said, standing up from the armchair and went to the living room. Mr Lee was shown on the screen, rocking a sleeping baby Beth in his arms, singing a lullaby to her and stopped immediately as he realized they weren't alone anymore. Not wanting to wake his grandduaghter up, he just waved at the camera and Mrs Lee went back.

\- Oh I miss her so much right now! - Sung Kyung pouted. 

\- When are you coming back?

\- Tomorrow, around noon I think. - she said, looking at her husband for confirmation and he nodded. 

\- Very well, then. Take care and I'll see you tomorrow! - Mrs Lee said and hung up. Hyo Seop wrapped his arm around Sung Kyung and she buried her face in his neck.

\- Did you see how big she looked in Dad's arms? She must've grown an inch since we last saw her! 

\- Babe, it's only been two days. - Hyo Seop laughed and kissed her forehead. - But I'd be lying if I told you I didn't miss her at all. She got me wrapped around her finger, just like you did back then. 

\- Paul? - she asked, looking up at him and he opened his eyes. They were lying like that for about an hour then, gently caressing each other as they were listening to the sound of rain outside. 

\- Hm?

\- Let's try making babies again. I wanna have my little Paul too. 

\- Well well, you don't have to ask twice! - he smirked and kissed her on the lips.

\- So how was your little getaway? - Zoe asked. They were sitting in her living room, she invited her sister over for a coffee. Sung Kyung left Beth with Hyo Seop at home, letting him have his "father-daughter time" with her the day after they got back. She thought she was the one missing her more, but when they got back home and Beth started crying, it was only Paul who could make her laugh doing his amazing impressions on people Beth didn't even know then. She felt a bit betrayed but couldn't stay mad at her husband for long, they were just too cute together. 

\- It was amazing! It really felt like a second honeymoon, except we had a child waiting for us at home this time. - she added, laughing. 

\- You know Mom and Dad are crazy about Beth, right?

\- Well of course they are! No one can be immune to her charms! - she boasted.

\- Indeed. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay there. You both needed it.

\- Is this your way of telling me I looked like hell lately? - Sung Kyung smirked, teasing her sister.

\- No, of course not! But you look really refreshed now and you deserved some getaway after months now. 

\- I still felt a bit guilty for leaving Beth behind though. 

\- Nonsense! - Zoe smiled and poured herself another cup of coffee. 

\- Wait, I think the laundry is done now. - Sung Kyung said as she noticed the sound of the washing mashine stopped.

\- It's okay, I'll do that later. - she shrugged. - Now tell me, are you going to give Beth a little brother or sister? - just when she was about to answer, someone rang the doorbell. - Excuse me! I think my order arrived. - Zoe said, standing up to go out. Sung Kyung thought she might as well take the time and help her with the freshly washed clothes and left for the bathroom where she turned off the machine, put the clothes in a basket and started hanging them on the dryer. As she reached for another piece, she raised a green shirt with 'The Godfather' written on it. She recognized it at once. It was the one Paul bought him for his birthday. Sung Kyung remembered because she was there to help him pick it from the online webshop. It was Josh's! And then suddenly, everything made sense to her. Those secret phone calls, how she was all smiley most of the time and the fact they were both acting a bit more distant with each other than before. It was all because of him! Her husband's best friend!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Schwarzie: he refers to Arnold Schwarzenegger
> 
> Also even though it's May in this chapter, I still imagined the weather to be gloomy and cold for some reason (I guess I should blame the weather here 😅)


	17. The perfect investment

Hyo Seop noticed how quiet his wife was ever since she got back from her sister. This was something unusual for her, she was always bubbly. But now it felt like her mind was a thousand miles away. 

And it was. It didn't take an Einstein to put two and two together. When Zoe brought her back to Earth as she joined her in the room, Biblee felt so awkward she told her she needed to go and left in a hurry. On her way home in the car, she kept thinking about them. Her dearest little sister and Josh; a guy who excelled in being an amazing friend but couldn't be any further from being boyfriend material. How long was this going on? Does anyone else know about this? Why didn't she tell her about it? They always told each other everything, ever since they were children. Sung Kyung told Zoe about her first kiss and the younger Lee sister could never keep any of her crushes a secret from Biblee. Until now, that is. What's changed? Was she by any chance worried she wouldn't take it well? Or was she concerned about Hyo Seop? Sung Kyung remembered how self conscious he was when he first told her about what a womanizer his best friend was. If this was the reason, she could understand. Biblee knew how awkward her husband would feel if he found out his best friend was dating his sister in law. And maybe this thing between them wasn't even anything serious, although Zoe was never the type to casually date anyone. So what was going on then? One thing she knew for sure was this: if Josh ever broke her sister's heart, she'd kill him.

When she got home, Hyo Seop welcomed her with baby Beth in his arms and gave a soft kiss on her right cheek. As they went to the kitchen to start making dinner, Sung Kyung took her time to look at her husband. She's never seen him as happy as he was lately. People say new mothers had a particular glow to them, but for her, there was just something in him too. He was glowing and it was probably all thanks to his love for Beth. As she watched him go to the pantry, rocking their daughter in his arms, singing some upbeat song to her, Sung Kyung couldn't help smiling. No, she won't burst his bubble. Not until it's necessary, not until she's even sure she's right about them. Besides, it's not her business to meddle in her sister's life. But she's never kept a secret from him! These thoughts kept her mind going all day long. 

\- Babe? - Hyo Seop poked her side after she got back from Beth's room. This time it was Biblee's turn to sing her a lullaby. 

\- Hm?

\- Did something happen at Zoe's? - he asked, careful not to give anything away. Hyo Seop promised them not to say anything to her. Sung Kyung was quite sleepy before but now his simple question made her uneasy again.

\- No? Why would you ask such a thing? What could've happened there? I mean we just talked. - she started blabbering. Realizing how unnatural she was acting, Biblee put herself together, sat up straight on bed and looked at him. - Fancy an English lesson tomorrow? It's been a while.

\- I thought you'd never ask! - he said, smirking and leaned in to kiss her. - Oh by the way. Now that you mentioned...

\- I thought you'd never ask! - he said, smirking and leaned in to kiss her. - Oh by the way. Now that you mentioned...

\- What? - Sung Kyung could see something was on her husband's mind. He was always scratching his scalp those times when he didn't know what to say or how to say something. 

\- Do you still think we should get a place in Canada? - he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she raised her head to rest it on his biceps, softly caressing the skin on his bare chest. 

\- Why are you asking that now?

\- You know... - he said, locking his fingers with hers. - I was always taught that the wisest thing you can invest your money in is real estate.

\- Hm.

\- There's a really great offer for an estate in Pickering. It's basically about a 30 minutes drive from Toronto. It's in a really good neighbourhood, I think it's worth thinking about it. Maybe we could do our Ahn-visiting a bit earlier than planned and see the estate for ourselves. What do you say?

\- You really want to buy that house, don't you? - she asked, smiling.

\- I'm just saying it's worth considering. Plus this way we could shoot two birds with one bullet. But only if you want to.

\- Well if you really think we should go, then we should. I trust your instincts, you've always handled money well. - Sung Kyung said, nesting her head in his neck and Hyo Seop planted a big kiss on her hair.

\- We're really nailing this marriage thing, don't we?

*10 days later

\- Babe, look at this view! - Sung Kyung said as she pulled the curtains away in the bedroom. They were in the house Hyo Seop thought they should buy, in Pickering. Their flight to Toronto went smoother than they thought. Beth slept through almost the whole flight and when she was awake, her dad tried his best to make her laugh whenever she seemed like she was about to cry. And apart from one precedent, the funny faces and noises he made worked. And anyways, Beth was was so cute no one on the plane could be frustrated with her even when she was crying a bit loud. Since it was a quite spontaneous trip, Paul and Biblee planned their days they're gonna spend in Canada in the sky, starting from what to see, when to see those things and what to do when the Ahn grandparents are taking care of Beth. Also, they had to visit Ray, Denise and Roy as well and they only had five days to do all that. Hyo Seop had a script reading next week for his new drama and Sung Kyung agreed to do some photoshoots as well, so their time in the Western side of the world was limited this time. It was their second day there, they spent the first in the Ahns' house, mainly sleeping and catching up with them; how their days have been lately and such. Of course, Paul's mom was mainly busy with rocking Beth in her arms and humming sweet tunes to her. If Paul was obsessed with his daughter, then Mrs Ahn was practically worshipping her, just like Roy, her other grandchild. **_"I feel so blessed. Three amazing children, two beautiful daughter in laws and the world's cutest babies as my grandchildren, who could ask for more?"_** ; she said from time to time, making Sung Kyung slightly emotional whenever she made her feel she really belonged in their family. Sung Kyung was always loved by her friends' and her exes' parents before, but Mrs Ahn really treated her like her own daughter and she couldn't be any more grateful for that. 

\- Imagine having this view anytime we come here. - he whispered into her ears as he hugged her from behind. The house had the best view on the lake, with some sailing boats on it that made the atmosphere of the town even more endearing. 

\- I think I could get used to it. - she smiled and turned her head a bit so she could kiss him on the lips. 

\- Does it mean you like it then?

\- I think we should buy it, yes. - Sung Kyung smiled and kissed him again. Maybe it was the excitement of being in their (basically) new home or the fact he just loved her so much, but Paul kissed her back even more passionately as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer to him, glueing his big hands on her hips. The butterflies in her stomach were wide awake as his tongue started slow dancing with hers. Will she ever be immune to his touches? The answer is probably never. As his fingers slid under her blouse, she stopped him. - Oi! What if she comes back sooner than she said she would?

\- She said she has some other estates to show other people. - Hyo Seop said, referring to the real estate lady. - Come on, we still have time. Besides, we're buying this one aren't we? 

It was either his words or more likely his ministrations that convinced her to give in as he gently unbuttoned her shirt. The way his hands ran through her sides and bare shoulders gave her goosebumps and she was eager to unzip his jeans. Soon enough, they found themselves in bed, under the blankets. 

\- This will be our little shelter from the world. - Sung Kyung said as she planted a long kiss on his cheek. 

\- Not the worst place to hide away from the world isn't it? I think the kids will enjoy it too.

\- Kids? - she asked, smiling. 

\- Who knows, the next peanut could already be in your belly. 

Sung Kyung kissed him again when they both heard the lady's voice from the other side of the door, coming closer and closer. 

\- So what do you think about the bedr... Oh my God! - she squealed as she opened it and found them in bed, luckily under the covers and closed the door immediately as she stepped out. - I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. - she said, covering her eyes.

\- Oh my God! - Sung Kyung shrieked hysterically as she stood up with the blanket wrapped around her body and started looking for her clothes on the floor. She's never felt so embarrassed before. - Put on something! - she yelled at Hyo Seop who was quick to put his jeans and shirt back on and followed the lady. She was only speaking English, so it all made sense it had to be Paul who did the talking. 

\- We're... We're taking the house. - he said, scratching his neck. 

\- Good, good. I was hoping you'd say that, the place is yours. Now if you don't mind, I'll wait for you downstairs until you're both fully dressed. - she said, clearly still embarrassed and went down on the woodden stairs painted in white. 

By the time Paul went back into the bedroom, Sung Kyung was already buttoning her shirt. 

\- What did she say? - she asked, already dreading the answer. She felt like a little child caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. 

\- Babe, we got the place! Maybe we should do this again if we ever want to buy another house next time. - he added, smirking and got a pillow thrown into his face in return.

\- What an idiot! - she growled under her nose, shaking her head as they went out of the room to sign the papers as their first step of their life in their second home in a city far away from all their troubles. 


	18. Europe-tour no.2  (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to make things clear:  
> Normal - during their vacation  
> Italic - social media things /vlog's contents  
> Bold - after their vacation

Sung Kyung has never slept so well in the past year like she was lately. Maybe it was because they finalized the papers for their new house they bought in Pickering and most of the stress that came with buying a new estate were gone, or the fact that it was already mid-July, the weather couldn't be any more perfect and they were on their way to the airport to relive their Europe-experience they had two years ago, when Paul finally asked the big question. 

Back then, they were just two young people only imagining what could be ahead of them and now they were about to go on their very first summer getaway to Europe as a family, with their darling daughter, baby Beth. Sung Kyung's parents offered to go with them, therefore the young parents would have someone to watch over Beth when they want some alone time. It came as a great relief to Paul when Sung Kyung told them she didn't want them to come because it was going to be their very first vacation with just the three of them there. He shared the same opinion as well but didn't want to be the one to say something about it in case Sung Kyung felt the need to accept their help. After all, being a mother wasn't an easy job to do and even though Paul tried his best to help his wife in any way he could, he knew it was probably still overwhelming for Sung Kyung. 

\- What are you doing? - she asked, laughing as she came back from the rest room. They were already on the plane from Moscow to Edinburgh (therefore less chance for being recognized by anyone there) and her daughter was wearing Hyo Seop's sunglasses, along with his black baseball cap. She was looking very... thuggish.

\- She looks cool, doesn't she? - Paul asked, looking more than pleased with his styling. 

\- Very cool! - she smirked. 

\- I feel like you're being sarcastic right now, but I'll take it as a compliment nonetheless. 

\- I just think we should save these accessories for the sunnier countries, I checked the forecast yesterday and they say it's going to rain all three days in Scotland. 

\- Aigoo. Sorry, baby! - he pouted, taking his glasses off Beth and the corners of the little girl's mouth quickly went down, turning her smile into a frown and they both knew she was about to cry. 

\- Put it back, put it back! - Sung Kyung ordered and her husband did as he was told, avoiding a minor crisis before it was too late. - Honestly, Paul! I can already see our daughter turning into a dork like you.

\- Don't worry babe, you can buy her all the dresses you approve of once we're back in Paris. And you could get some for yourself as well, then you could do a fashion show for me if you'd like and I'll pretend to admire the clothes and not what's under them, okay?

\- Shh! - she hushed, putting her index finger on his lips and he bit her playfully. - Mr Ahn, behave yourself! - Sung Kyung whispered as she looked around, afraid they might annoy the other passengers. 

\- So I suppose this is why they call it "the highlands". - Paul said as he stopped to look around, with his hands on his hips, Beth in her sling, hanging in front of her father's chest. 

\- Wooow, it's so pretty! - Sung Kyung said on a high pitched voice. They were standing at the top of the hill, looking at the glorious view Scotland offered them. It was truly one of the most beautiful places they have ever visited. - Look at Paul and his pose! - she laughed, pointing the GoPro at her husband. They decided to vlog as much as they can this time and share it later on Biblee's YouTube channel. - Say something.

\- She is mean! - Paul said to the camera, trying to sound serious but his smirk gave him away. 

\- He's just sulking because I didn't like the haggis. 

\- No I'm not!

\- And because I could understand a local person better than he did. - Biblee added, teasing her husband. - I guess he really is a good English teacher.

\- Well I won't argue with that. 

\- When we get to Lock Ness, we should get Beth one of the stuffed animal version of the monster. - Sung Kyung suggested.

\- Or we could censor her face with a Loch Ness sticker. That would be so dope!

\- That's actually quite clever, Paul. 

\- Well you married a genius. - he shrugged with a huge smirk on his face. - But turn that thing off now and let's get moving! - he said. - Bye, folks!

And in the end, they did cover their daughter's face with a Loch Ness sticker in the videos they recorded in Scotland. Following Paul's idea, they decided to use different stickers for different countries they visited, so by the time Sung Kyung uploaded all the episodes of their Europe-tour, they could see Beth with a Loch Ness monster sticker for Scotland, baguette for France, the purple Milka cow for Switzerland, Mozart for Austria, Rubik's cube for Hungary where they visited Jong Suk on set for his new movie and an angry faced olive for the Greek islands.

**_heybiblee - Europe Tour_ **

_Episode 1 - The Highlands_

_\- PLAY -_

_The very first thing the viewers see in the video is baby Beth, covered with her father's sunglasses and baseball cap, both too big on her. Then Paul took the camera and started frowning as he switched his phone to front camera mode, then back to normal as his wife was walking towards them. - What are you doing? - she asked, laughing. Now Paul's features appeared again and he made a guilty look on his face before turning off the camera._

_The next footage was recorded in their hotel room. Not too luminous, but definitely a pleasant one with a nice atmosphere._

_\- So we're here in our room already, Paul just took Beth for a bath and now I'm taking my time to show you our room. And the view, even though you'll probably hardly see anything because it's dark already. But look - she said, switching the camera as she stepped out on their balcony and pointed to the lake as the water surface turned silver, lit by the moon. - We have the most beautiful view to that little lake there. Pretty, isn't it?_

_\- "Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive!" - Paul's voice was heard from the back crystal clear as he was singing Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees. Biblee turned around with her phone, recording her husband as he was rocking their daughter, still not noticing he was being recorded, until Biblee couldn't hold it any longer and started laughing, just like her daughter did in her father's arms._

_\- Are you really singing Bee Gees right now? - she asked, still laughing._

_\- It's an evergreen, isn't it? Oh, you're recording?_

_\- Yes I am._

_\- Nooo. I guess there's no way you're gonna cut this part is there? So my macho reputation is ruined now._

_\- Please babe, you ruined that years ago. - she laughed._

_\- Aigoo._

_\- I was kidding! So Paul, from 1 to 10, how would you rate this room?_

_\- As in 10 being the best?_

_\- Hm._

_\- A solid six._

_\- Six? What's wrong with it? - she asked, clearly surprised._

_\- Nothing. But if I give the first room a ten, how could I rate the others when we leave here?_

_\- Fair enough. I'll give it an eight though. It's cute._

_In the next footage the next day, they were getting ready for a hike not too far away from their hotel. It was a rather gloomy morning, but that didn't let them lose their enthusiasm for the mountains. Biblee couldn't stop talking about how Beth was the best accessory Paul could ever wear as they were walking up the hills, with the baby girl in her sling, carried by Hyo Seop. Everything they recorded on their way up and down the mountains were worth every money they spent on their vacation, the view was truly breathtaking. They even took each other's pictures, which was of course Biblee's idea, but when they saw the results, Paul had to agree it would've been a waste not to take photos there._

_\- So my husband managed not to record anything last night, because he didn't realize the camera wasn't on! - Biblee said as they were eating in a nice restaurant which had wooden walls, completing the rustic atmosphere of the place._

_\- Was it really an accident though? - Paul asked, caressing his non-existant beard as if he was one of those wise Chinese men from the movies. - Or did I just save myself from having to deal with recording anything from now on? Like how other men do the dishes, you know._

_\- Nice try, but we all know you're a grandpa when it comes to technology. - Biblee said, smirking. - So where are we headed to today?_

_\- Eeeedinburgh! - Paul said, emphasizing the first sillable in excitement._

_" @hermajestythequeenofplo: Not at me sharing the glorious pic I allowed Ahnlee to take with me when we met, with my face censored one more time. I was kind of expecting to be included in their vlog but oh well, I guess they didn't want me to steal their spotlight."_

_Episode 2 - Bonjour, merci, au revoir_

**Biblee watched the next episode she was about to upload one last time. Those footages of Paris were enough to take her back there in mind.**

To the Eiffel Tower, to the cruise on the river Saine, to Sainte-Chapelle, the gorgeous church in the heart of the city, to the Jardin des Tuileries and the tiny cafés they had their delicious breakfast at. One of her favourite part (which they documented in their vlog as well) was when they bought Beth a cute red beret which she got one for herself as well. 

\- Of course my girls look beautiful in everything they wear. - Paul said, looking proud and mesmerized as ever. - I probably should've proposed you here. - he added as he looked back one last time to the great steel tower. - They call it the city of love for a reason.

\- I thought you were going to. - Biblee said, smirking as she remembered the day she thought Paul was going to propose. 

\- I know. And now that we're here, I know why.

\- But I don't mind that you chose Switzerland at all. It was very unique. Besides, who needs a romantic proposal in Paris when you can have one with swollen lips in Zurich?

\- That really hurt back then, you know! - Paul said as he lifted his daughter up in his arms and planted a kiss on her rosy cheeks. - Yes, your mama can be quite violent if she wants to. 

\- Are you really trying to turn my own daughter against me? - Sung Kyung asked, pretending to be offended.

\- Of course I am, I need an ally anytime I forget to do the dishes or something. - he shrugged and started rocking Beth, who was clearly having a good time, proved by her never-ending giggles. As Biblee looked at them, she let out the happiest sigh. Life was indeed beautiful. 

**\- Babe, I think Beth just peed on our bed. - Paul's voice brought her back to the present. Sighing, she clicked on "UPLOAD" and stood up, leaving her desk to help her husband clean up. Yes, even with these little accidents, life truly was beautiful with the loves of her life in it.**


End file.
